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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26984023">someone who loves you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/o_____o/pseuds/channie_days'>channie_days (o_____o)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>taking you home [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Angst, Anxiety Disorder, Bang Chan-centric, Catboys &amp; Catgirls, Child Abandonment, Collars, Crack Treated Seriously, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hybrids, Non-Sexual Hybrid-Human Relationship, Protective Stray Kids Ensemble, Slice of Life, Weird Plot Shit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:35:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>28,433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26984023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/o_____o/pseuds/channie_days</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bang Chan was 16 when his owners abandoned him and left him to fend for himself. After spending 5 years in a Shelter, considered 'unadoptable' because of his anxiety, Chan has pretty much be resigned to never finding a home. </p><p>That is until Minho, owner of six hybrids decides his family has enough love to help Chan feel wanted again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bang Chan &amp; Everyone, Bang Chan &amp; Lee Minho | Lee Know</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>taking you home [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074152</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>149</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>488</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. First Meeting [Chan]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, I wrote a Catboy AU. And its a very serious Catboy AU because I can't do anything by halves. I do not know or understand why I was struck with this sudden inspiration, but it wouldn't leave me alone and here we are.</p><p>Bang Chan, sad Catboy finds a family of one human and six other Catboys.</p><p>Please enjoy. Also, if you wanna know more about this verse before diving in. Read the Author's Notes chapter.</p><p>very un-beta'd lol.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Somebody wants you,</em> <em>Somebody needs you.</em> </p><p><em>Someone is searching for your heart alone.</em> </p><p><em>Someone is dreaming,</em> <em>Waiting and watching.</em> </p><p>
  <em>Someone is coming to take you home.</em>
</p><p> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>Chan</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“Who are you?”</p><p class="p1">Chan’s head shot up from where he was hunched over the old desktop keyboard, carefully practicing his typing by updating their list of supplies. His black ears folded back against his head as he looked up to see a tall, dark-haired man standing at the counter. For all that the human’s expression screamed unimpressed, he was wearing an over-sized brown striped sweater covered in fur and carrying a large blue tub in his arms.</p><p class="p1">It took a moment for the shock to ware off before Chan shook his head, trying to keep the heat from rushing to his cheeks. Obviously the man was there to drop off donations and probably hadn’t been expecting to see one of the cats at the desk like this. Ja-yeon had started letting him sit up front though once it was clear that he would be sticking around for a while.</p><p class="p1">“Hi, I’m sorry I didn’t see you.” It took all of Chan’s focus not to stutter under the man’s harsh gaze. He quickly got up and went to the door behind him, pressing on the buzzer so that Ja-yeon would know that someone was up front and needed her.</p><p class="p1">Chan bit his lip as he waited awkwardly by the door, tail twitching as he tried to avoid looking at the human. He could feel the other’s eyes on him and it made him want to go up to his room and hide. Usually people who visited the shelter were quite friendly and excited to see Chan sitting up front. But this one…</p><p class="p1">“Hmm, you ever answered my question.” The man suddenly put his large tub on the ground and then leaned forward on the counter. “<em>Who</em> are you?”</p><p class="p1">Chan looked over, as if surprised that he was still being addressed. “M-me?” He squeaked out, his voice cracking. Embarrassed, he ducked his head, ears still folded back.</p><p class="p1">The dark-haired human rolled his eyes. “Who else is here right now?”</p><p class="p1">That made sense. The hybrid cleared his throat before answering. “Chan, well, they called me Bang Chan when I first got here, but I mostly go by Chan.”</p><p class="p1">“Chan.” The human said slowly, then hummed to himself. “Cute.”</p><p class="p1">Before Chan could properly sputter out an answer, the door opened, startling him and causing him to jump back with a startled hiss. But he easily relaxed once he saw it was just Ja-yeon, looking a little frazzled but otherwise okay. She raised an eyebrow at Chan before looking over at the counter, her face brightening considerably when she saw the waiting man.</p><p class="p1">“Minho-ssi!” She said happily, clasping her hands together and she went to greet him. “It’s so good to see you again. How is Jeongin fitting in? It’s been a year since you took him in, right?”</p><p class="p1">Minho nodded, smiling a little at the woman and answering her question quietly.</p><p class="p1">Chan watched from near the door, knowing now would be the perfect time to escape. Now that Ja-yeon was there, Chan wasn’t needed. But something about the man, <em>Minho, </em>stopped Chan from moving. His smile was small, barely a curl of the lips, but his eyes crinkled, showing the truth of his happiness in seeing the Shelter’s kind manager. Often people were in a rush to drop off supplies, or too excited to see the cats up for adoption to take the time for small talk. But this man listened patiently as Ja-yeon talked, the woman happy to have human company on a slow day.</p><p class="p1">He swiveled his ears slightly, allowing himself to tune into their conversation. He couldn’t help but be curious about the serious man with his huge donation tub who smiled so kindly at Ja-yeon. Maybe he was just biased, but the woman’s happiness was of utmost importance to him. She was the one who had given him a second chance after all. Even with all the trouble it caused her and the shelter.</p><p class="p1">“Channie!” Ja-yeon turned and beckoned him over. “Would you be able to do me a favour?”</p><p class="p1">Chan was surprised, but nodded immediately, walking up next to the slightly shorter woman, letting his tail brush against her legs. It warmed his chest when she reached over and stroked gently over one of his ears.</p><p class="p1">“Minho here has some things for the Common Room. Can you walk him there for me and help get them sorted?”</p><p class="p1">Chan looked up at the Minho suddenly, mouth open in surprise. He could have choked as the human raised one single eyebrow, almost as if in challenge. Not that he would ever deny a request from Ja-yeon.</p><p class="p1">“No problem.” Chan said much more confidently than he felt in that moment.</p><p class="p1">“Thank you so much, Channie.”</p><p class="p1">The cat nodded, before making his way from behind the counter and beckoning Minho with one hand. He tried to keep his tail was swaying and betraying his agitation as he led the human through the double doors that led back to the main wing of the Shelter. There were about twenty rooms, each able to hold a maximum of 3 cats. Of course some were on their own due to behavioral reasons, and there were those like Chan who kept a room alone because of his long tenure at the Shelter.</p><p class="p1">Minho seemed to be comfortable enough there, and Chan realized he must have visited before. Since he himself had only been sitting at the front desk for a few weeks, it wasn’t unreasonable that he’d never seen Minho around.</p><p class="p1">Their silence as they walked back to the Common Room was almost overwhelming and Chan felt he needed to do something to break the tension.</p><p class="p1">“Are you looking to adopt today?” Chan tried to keep it light with a pretty standard question.</p><p class="p1">“I have six cats already.” Minho answered.</p><p class="p1">“Oh! <em>Wow.</em>” Chan was genuinely surprised to hear that. It was’t uncommon for people to have two cat hybrids, since they tended to get lonely when their people were at work. But six wasn’t a number Chan heard often. The vetting process could be pretty strict for adopting, so whatever this guy was doing, he was doing it very well.</p><p class="p1">“Thats.. thats amazing.” Chan tried to keep the wistfulness out of his voice. “You really like cats, huh?”</p><p class="p1">Minho stared at him silently for a moment before he finally asked. “How long have you been here?”</p><p class="p1">The change in subject was abrupt and caught Chan a little off-guard. One of his ears twitched. “Oh, well…” He swallowed thickly, glad to see that the Common Room was right a head. “Five years almost? Yeah, about that long…”</p><p class="p1">Before Minho had a chance to respond, Chan was opening the door to the Common Room. There were a few cats in, lounging around. The ten year old twins Noyu and Naru were curled up on the couch together, watching something on the old television at the back of the room. Dong-Ha must have fallen asleep in an arm-chair with a tattered book half slipping out off his lap. Shi-won and Sonya were on the floor, grooming one another and talking quietly. Chan couldn’t help but smile a little softly, happy to see everyone so comfortable.</p><p class="p1">“I can take it from here if you want.” Chan said quietly.</p><p class="p1">“I don’t mind putting these things away.” Minho insisted as he followed Chan into the room. Almost instantly the twins on the couch and the girls on the floor noticed them entering. Much like any time a human came in, they shot up, eyes bright and ears perked.</p><p class="p1">“Pressies!” Naru cried out before darting over, her sister quick on her heels.</p><p class="p1">Quickly, Minho was surrounding by four excitable young cats, eager to see what new treasures they had been brought. Chan stepped back, watching with soft eyes as Minho opened the lid of the tub to show them what he had brought. The girls chatted excitedly as they picked up sweaters, blankets, books and even drawing materials. Things to pass their time while they were residents at the Shelter. Chan knew though, with how sweet and excited they were, the girls wouldn’t be here long. Judging from the smile that Minho had on his face, it was obvious he wasn’t immune to their charms either.</p><p class="p1">A dull ache rose in his chest and Chan gently pressed his hand to his chest as if he could physically press it down. It wasn’t jealousy necessarily. Or well, it was in a way. He had never been nearly as carefree as these kittens had been. He’d been timid when he first arrived, terrified of what would happen to him after being abandoned and wandering the streets for nearly a year before being taken in. He had tried to put himself out there when humans came to visit, and they had always been so kind to him. Of course, no matter how well a meeting went, somehow it always fell through afterwards.</p><p class="p1">It took about two and a half years before he found out why. It turned out a lot of humans didn’t think they were ready to adopt a cat on anxiety medication who would require regular therapy. He was too old and too much of a behavioral risk for families and too needy for a single person or couple.</p><p class="p1">Ja-yeon had sat with him about six months ago, and they’d had a long talk about Chan’s future. He wasn’t likely to be adopted at this point. There were farming colonies that he could go to, or he could apply for a working house, where he could get a job and live in a shared home with other working hybrids. Of course, she’d assured him he’d always have a place at the Shelter for as long as he wanted.</p><p class="p1">Chan had been raised as a pet, had lived as one for sixteen years before being suddenly left in an empty house all by himself. He had never considered a future where he wasn’t there for his humans, and in a lot of ways he still hadn’t come to terms with the reality of his situation.</p><p class="p1">Watching the interaction between Minho and the kittens on served to remind him of what he would never have again. Suddenly, Chan felt very tired, and he turned to head out and go to his room, up on the second floor. He was sure one of the kittens would adore helping Minho with anything else he might need.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Abandoned [Minho]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>“Abandoned..” The word felt sour in Minho’s mouth and his hands curled into fists on his thighs. “How could anyone..”</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>People like this I guess sdjkaskjda I'm very glad. I appreciate all the kudos and the comments so far.</p><p>tw/cw; mentions of drugging/drugs</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Minho</em>
</p><p class="p1">It was hard pulling himself away from the excitable kittens, but after about half an hour he gently excused himself to let them enjoy the things he had brought. The familiar ache-warmth he felt whenever he saw the adoptable cats never failed to settle in his chest and the temptation to just take them all in whispered in his ear. He had promised himself after Jeongin, <em>no more</em>, he wanted to make sure he was able to give all of the hybrids under his care the time and attention they deserved.</p><p class="p1">Minho stopped in the hallway after closing the door to the Common Room and looked around at the doors lining the corridors. Each door had its own decorated name tag with the names of its occupants. He found himself idly scanning to see which one Chan stayed in, but upon reaching the end of the hall found, he couldn’t find the hybrid’s name at all.</p><p class="p1">He frowned to himself, pursing his lips as he considered the black-haired cat. <em>Chan.</em> Minho hadn’t been lying when he said the name was cute. In fact, the hybrid was extremely cute. His big brown eyes, large black ears and slightly awkward demeanor. The black sweater the hybrid had been wearing had been far too large on him, making him look even smaller than the few inches Minho had on him. But <em>5 years</em>, that was practically unheard of for a cat to remain in one Shelter for such a long time. And Chan seemed nice enough, very polite if a little anxious. Why hadn’t he been taken in already? Minho could see him with a nice older person, helping them get groceries or cook dinner. Some place low-key where he could come out of his shell.</p><p class="p1">Minho thought of his own slightly chaotic household and tried to imagine Chan there. He thought of how loud Jisung and Hyunjin could be, or how intimidating Changbin seemed. Seungmin, <em>oh God, </em>it would be a disaster. It wouldn’t work out at <em>all.</em></p><p class="p1">Minho’s brow was furrowed in concentration as he exited the double doors into the waiting room, lost in his own thoughts. He only looked up when Ja-yeon called his name.</p><p class="p1">“Thank you so much, Minho-ssi.” She said with a wide smile. “It can get pretty boring around here, so the kittens always get excited whenever someone stops by with gifts.”</p><p class="p1">Minho nodded, happy to help as often as he could. He glanced past her, looking for any sign of Chan. Upon seeing the hybrid wasn’t there, he cleared his throat and asked. “Why hasn’t Chan been adopted?”</p><p class="p1">That seemed to take the woman by surprise and she blinked up at him from behind the counter. “P-pardon? Channie? Did something happen?”</p><p class="p1">The concern in her voice surprised Minho, just adding to the mystery. “No, he was very nice.” He assured her. “But why has he been here for 5 years?”</p><p class="p1">Ja-yeon looked conflicted for a moment, but then sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She motioned for him to come behind the counter and then led him back to her office. Inside was a desk laden with stacks of folders and a laptop, pictures of previous shelter residents hung on the wall. Notes and postcards littered the area surrounding her desk. Evidence of how hard she and the others worked to give the hybrids under their care a better life.</p><p class="p1">Ja-yeon motioned for Minho to take a seat in one of the chairs on the other side of her desk before going to turn on a tea kettle sitting on a small cart against the wall.</p><p class="p1">“I’m surprised he said as much to you.” Ja-yeon said gently, turning to face him once the water was on. Her arms were folded across her chest and she looked contemplative. “We took him in when he was 17. He had been abandoned.”</p><p class="p1">Because of their unique nature, laws regarding hybrids were quite strict and mistreatment carried a tough penalty. Cats who ended up in shelters were usually the fault of accidents or wild matings. ‘Wild’ Cats being those who’d gotten away from humans and lived off scraps could often only take care of their kittens for so long before giving them up to be taken in by humans. Cases of neglect were handled by specialist centers who could provide medical care and therapy.</p><p class="p1">Abandonment was very rare, usually if a hybrid had to be given up, there were family or friends who could take them in.</p><p class="p1">“Abandoned..” The word felt sour in Minho’s mouth and his hands curled into fists on his thighs. “How could anyone..”</p><p class="p1">“I don’t know. It really was awful.” Ja-yeon said, her voice absolutely heartbroken. She quickly fixed them both some tea before bringing over the steaming cups and letting them sit on her desk to steep. “His family was moving. He said everything was perfectly normal until the morning of the move. When he woke up, they were gone.”</p><p class="p1">Minho raised an eyebrow, wondering.</p><p class="p1">“We believe they drugged him the night before so that he wouldn’t wake up when they left.” Ja-yeon said, answering his silent question. “He stayed in the empty house for days before leaving to try and find them. He was on his own for a year before someone found him half starving in an alley and called us. He was in terrible shape, but…” She hesitated and Minho could see tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “..he was still so kind. So grateful to us for helping him, even after what he’d been through.”</p><p class="p1">Minho could hear his heart pounding in his chest as the woman relayed the story. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, that someone would just <em>leave</em> a hybrid like that. Chan had still been a <em>kitten</em>, not even able to fend for himself. He could have died, it sounded like he almost did. He reached forward to take the mug up tea in his hands, trying to focus on something else to keep his anger at bay.</p><p class="p1">“He should have gone to a specialist center, but with his fear of abandonment. Dr. Rae and I thought it might do more damage if he kept getting passed off on other people.” Ja-yeon finally sat down behind her desk and pulled her tea toward herself with trembling hands. “Chan is a sweetheart, and hes so good with the new kittens when they come in.”</p><p class="p1">Minho could feel her hesitation, and he suspected he knew what was coming.</p><p class="p1">“Quite a few people have been interested in Chan.” Ja-yeon said, looking down. “But when they hear about his therapy, the anxiety medicine he takes… I can’t <em>blame</em> them,” though it sounded very much like she wanted to. “its just, not many people are prepared to deal with this level of trauma.”</p><p class="p1">“And he knows.” Minho said quietly, heart sinking.</p><p class="p1">Ja-yeon nodded. “I had to tell him, it was cruel that he would get his hopes up each time, only for things to fall through.” She sipped her tea before continuing. “He’s withdrawn a little since then. I think he’s sort of accepted that…”</p><p class="p1">The woman bit her lip, looking quite close to tears. Minho reached over to a box of tissues on the desk and passed it over. She smiled up at him thankfully, dabbing at her eyes.</p><p class="p1">“This is so embarrassing.” She laughed self-deprecatingly. “He’s just been through so much. I feel like theres nothing I can do to help him. He deserves to be loved. If I could I would take him in a heartbeat, but my apartment is barely big enough for me and the twins.”</p><p class="p1">“I’ll take him.” Minho put his mug down on her desk with finality. His mouth was set in a firm line, his eyes dark with emotion.</p><p class="p1">Ja-yeon whipped her head up, mouth open in surprise. “Minho, I didn’t mean to <em>guilt</em> you into—“</p><p class="p1">“No.” Minho cut her off, shaking his head. “No, the reason I even asked was because I was interested.” Damn him and his soft heart. “But now that I know.. I can’t ignore that.”</p><p class="p1">“But you already have six, you have to think about this.” Ja-yeon insisted. “He’s going to need so much time, and extra attention.”</p><p class="p1">“He’ll have the seven of us to give it to him.” Minho said stubbornly. This was one thing he wasn’t going to back down from. The fact that Chan had been through so much, yet was still so kind was amazing and heartbreaking. If Chan needed love and assurance, Minho knew that his boys would be up for the task. “Ja-yeon, <em>please</em>.”</p><p class="p1">The woman looked up at him, disbelief still painted on her face. But there was something in her eyes that gradually soften, wanting to have hope that this might work out. She folded her hands in front of her, thinking quietly. “Okay, okay…” She took a deep breath, trying to keep her own excitement at bay. “Let’s talk to Chan first and see what he says.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah, I felt really sad writing this chapter tbh. But its all gonna be okay, thats the goal.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Trial [Chan]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>How quickly would someone move in after he was gone? Taking his place as if he had never even existed here at all. It was a reminder that even this place had only been a temporary roadstop in his uncertain existence.</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another update! Enjoy :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p3">
  <em>Chan</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">Chan startled a bit as he heard the urgent knocking on his door. His tail stiffened, and for a moment he thought that maybe Minho had come to pick him up early. Glancing at his half-packed duffel-bag, he bit his lip anxiously, he knew he shouldn’t have procrastinated with packing. He must have hesitated too long, because the knocking came again, this time even more urgent. Breathing in deeply to calm his nerves, Chan went over to open the door.</p><p class="p3">He was caught off-guard when Naru and Noyu tumbled into the room, tiny bodies immediately latching onto him and speaking over one another as Chan struggled to keep balanced.</p><p class="p3">“Hey, hey, calm down? What’s going on?” His brows knitted together as he reached down to pet between their chocolate point ears. His touch seemed to at least get them to stop grabbing at his limbs and eventually they settled enough so that he could understand what they were saying.</p><p class="p3">“Is it true?!” Naru cried loudly, staring up at him with her big eyes, bottom lip trembling slightly. “Channie, Dong-Ha says your leaving us!”</p><p class="p3">“Are you being adopted?” Noyu sounded much more excited than her sister, ears perked up. “Is someone taking you home?”</p><p class="p3">
  <em>Home.</em>
</p><p class="p3">Chan stiffened slightly, his heart pounding in his chest. None of the kittens really knew much about Chan’s situation, most were far too young to understand. Dong-Ha was fifteen, and his owner had died in an unfortunate car accident. He was probably the closest to understanding Chan’s situation, but even then, the young hybrid had the knowledge of his owner having loved him until the very end. <em>Home</em> was not a concept that Chan understood anymore. All it did was bring up the memories he tried so hard to forget.</p><p class="p3">“Ah, I’m just going to stay with someone for a little while.” Chan finally said with a gentle smile, trying to hide his true feelings. “Just to see if I even like being away from here. But who knows,” Chan tickled Noyu under her chin, causing the girl to giggle. “I probably won’t even like it. After all, I won’t have the two of you, will I?”</p><p class="p3">“Chaaanniee!” Naru whined, leaning in to rub her head against his side. “It’s not fair, we’re going to miss you. What if we get adopted before you come back?”</p><p class="p3">“What if you don’t come back!” Noyu exclaimed. “What if its <em>amazing!</em> You’ll get toys, and new clothes and all sorts of pressies!”</p><p class="p3">“All the pressies in the world wouldn’t make up for the two of you.” Chan assured them. He glanced over at the clock on his nightstand. He still had a few hours until Minho was supposed to come pick him up, but he had a lot of things to do. He kneeled down in front of the girls, taking one of their hands in each of his own.</p><p class="p3">“I’m going to miss both of you so much.” Chan said, squeezing their hands gently. “Be good for Ja-yeon, listen to Shi-won and Sonya. Take care of Dong-Ha, okay? I’m counting on you two.”</p><p class="p3">Noyu and Naru nodded seriously, even as tears began to well up in Naru’s eyes. He wrapped the two of them in his arms, purring gently as he rubbed their backs. Even if it was likely he wouldn’t end up staying with Minho and his family, by time he came back the kittens might already be gone.</p><p class="p3">Noyu was the first to pull away, and look at him. Her face was suddenly quite serious for a ten year old. “Promise you’ll try, Channie?”</p><p class="p3">Chan blinked surprised at her words. She didn’t elaborate, but her sister, sniffling slightly nodded along in agreement. The male swallowed the lump in his throat, and it took all he had not to shed tears of his own.</p><p class="p3">“Okay, of course I will.” He gave them trembling smile, wanting to remain strong for them. “I’ll do my best.”</p><p class="p3">- - - -</p><p class="p3">Once Chan had sent the girls off for their afternoon snack, he collapsed back onto his single bed. He pressed a hand to his chest, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. It was only a trial period, a test to see if Chan would even fit in with Minho’s bunch. The idea of being ‘adopted’ and then being lost in the shuffle of a house full of strange hybrids secretly terrified him, though he hadn’t been able to articulate as much during his meeting with Minho and Ja-yeon.</p><p class="p3">The human hadn’t said much, other than that he wanted to take Chan in. He said that he lived on a large plot of land away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There was lots of open space, a creek and plenty of peace and quiet. Chan found the last one hard to believe, but he had spent most of the meeting staring at his hands silently. Wondering if this was just one last test he had to fail before turning in his application for one of the farming colonies.</p><p class="p3">It was Ja-yeon who had convinced him to give it a chance. The woman had done so much for him, and she looked so genuinely hopeful about the idea that Chan couldn’t just reject it. Even if he thought it would turn out to be a disaster, he wanted to try for Ja-yeon. In the back of his mind, he secretly wished that things would work out and all of her hard work helping him get back on his feet would prove worthwhile.</p><p class="p3">With a sigh, Chan forced himself to get up and finish packing up his meager belongings. Most of his clothes were just old hand-me downs or generic clothes that got passed around the Shelter. He had a few things of his own, little gifts he’d been given by Ja-yeon and other volunteers. His journal from Dr. Rae, a hand-knitted black scarf from one of Ja-yeon’s hybrids, a little fish keychain that he kept on his desk and other random items. The things left weren’t his, but they certainly felt like it. The same pillow he’d slept on for the last 5 years, the slippers he often forgot to wear, the blue rug where he would sometimes sit on and look out his window up at the stars. This had been his place, his anchor for the past 5 years and now it was as if his whole world was being ripped from him.</p><p class="p3">He finished packing and set the bag near the door, before going to stand in the middle of the room uncertainly. How quickly would someone move in after he was gone? Taking his place as if he had never even existed here at all. It was a reminder that even <em>this</em> place had only been a temporary roadstop in his uncertain existence. The thought sent a shiver down his spine his tail whipped around before he caught it with his hands, grooming himself with his sharp nails in an attempt to calm down.</p><p class="p3">The next time there was a knock at the door, it was much gentler, but the implications much larger. Chan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He opened the door to see Ja-yeon standing there, looking up at him with a small smile on her face. She held up a ziplock bag with a sizeable amount of cookies in it and offered it to him.</p><p class="p3">“I know these are your favorite, so I snuck some out of the kitchen just for you.” She said with a wink.</p><p class="p3">Despite his nerves, Chan couldn’t help but smile back and gratefully took the bag, packing it away with his other things. The two of them were silent as they headed down the stairs and out into the waiting room. For some reason, Chan wasn’t expecting Minho to be there yet and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the human waiting in the middle of the room. He was wearing a black coat over a white-button up and gray slacks, more intimidating than the first two times Chan had met him when he was in frumpy sweaters covered with cat hair.</p><p class="p3">Ja-yeon led him over his a gentle hand on his elbow, talking cheerfully through the tension in the room. “So, I already gave Minho-ssi your medications and records. He has Dr. Rae’s number so that you can continue your appointments on the same schedule.”</p><p class="p3">Chan glanced up surprised. He assumed that he would have to stop attending therapy, or at least he’d find some place that was more convenient for Minho since the other lived outside of the city. When he caught the taller human’s eye, he just raised an eyebrow, almost challenging Chan’s surprise at his thoughtfulness.</p><p class="p3">“Channie,” Ja-yeon said suddenly, turning to face him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, looking at him warmly. “I know you're worried about this. All I want you to do is give it a chance, okay? Not for me. But for yourself, you deserve to be happy.”</p><p class="p3">She reached up and scratched lightly behind his ears and like a kitten he pressed against her hand, suddenly terrified to leave the person who had been his one constant for the last five years. He watched wary eyed as she retreated, smiling at him encouragingly as the distance between them widened.</p><p class="p3">His gaze eventually drifted to the ground, and it wasn’t until he heard Minho clear his throat that he looked up at the man. Despite his blank expression, there was something warm in his eyes as he looked at Chan. The human then reached inside the pocket of his coat and pulled out a box, slightly larger than his hand and offered it to Chan.</p><p class="p3">Hesitantly, he reached out and took it, running his fingers over the texture surface. It was a plain box, and it felt light and he couldn’t fathom to guess what was inside. Unable to deny his curiosity, he opened the box and upon seeing what was inside took in a sharp breath. Nestled among fluffy cotton was a black collar, the silver plating on the front had <em>Chan’</em> carved into it in elegant font. His eyes flickered up to Minho in surprise, and then down again, not sure how to process the significance of the item he had just been given.</p><p class="p3">Minho stepped toward him, gently lifting the collar from the box before looking at Chan directly in the eye. “I know we agreed that this was a trial run.” Minho said quietly. “But I have every intention of keeping you.”</p><p class="p3">Chan could only stare in disbelief, frozen to the spot as Minho deftly secured the collar around his neck. It fit perfectly, the inside a soft suede that felt nice against his neck. He could resist the urge to reach up and touch it, shock and wonder warring in his mind. Still dazed, Chan let Minho lead him out of the Shelter’s front doors and out to the car waiting to take him away.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are very much appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. On Edge [Chan]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>For a moment, in Chan’s woozy state, he felt almost warm, supported by Minho’s strong, warm hold. Part of him wanted to lean into the human’s touch, and he was too weak to resist, letting his head fall against his shoulder.</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This update took some time, its been kind of hectic on my end of things. Work stuff, actual real life stuff. Also working on my other fanfic. I was able to write a bit more recently though, so it was time for an update!</p><p>tw/cw ; brief suicidal ideation in the paragraph starting with "Truth be told," and vomiting</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Chan</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The car ride was long and awkwardly - <em>painfully</em> - silent. Chan sat in the passenger seat, fingers curled around the duffel-bag in his lap, knuckles nearly white from how tightly he was squeezing it. He refused to look at Minho, keeping his eyes focused straight ahead the entire time. Even when they had left the busy city streets and the buildings lining the roads gave way to colorful pre-autumn trees, he refused to look at his surroundings.</p><p class="p1">Truth be told, he had expended most of his energy just trying to keep his heart from bursting out of his chest and trying not to let the panic overtake him with every minute he got further and further away from the Shelter. Once or twice, the idea to just leap from the car had crossed his mind - but he managed to flick those thoughts away. One, because he was sure that Minho was smart enough to have safety locks on and Two, it would be a waste of all of Ja-yeon and Dr. Rae’s precious work if he became roadkill.</p><p class="p1">The only time he moved was when they turned into a secluded driveway, the paved road giving way to crackling gravel. Chan’s ears twitched at the sudden change of sound, and he was almost curious as Minho slowly made his way up the long driveway. As the house came into view, Chan’s eyes widened in surprise at just how big the place was. The entire house was made of dark woods with the door and multiple windows being painted gray. The trees gave way to more open land, which he could tell extended far beyond the back of the house with some of the most lush and green grass Chan had ever seen.</p><p class="p1">Not that he’d really had <em>any</em> experience with the outdoors. He’d been a suburban Cat and after that, the Shelter in the city had been his home. If he didn’t feel like he was going to throw up, he might have even appreciated the beauty of it all.</p><p class="p1">Instead, as Minho parked the car, Chan felt his stomach lurch and he immediately brought a hand to cover his mouth, ears folding back as he tried to focus on not losing his breakfast. Minho looked over at him, eyebrows furrowed in concern.</p><p class="p1">“Are you alright?” He asked gently, starting to reach out but then stopping at the last minute. “Did you get car sick? I know it was a long ride and I hadn’t thought to ask…”</p><p class="p1">It was sweet how concerned and almost disappointed with himself Minho sounded. Chan felt slightly guilty and shook his head the tiniest bit, gulping in a vain attempt to keep everything down. If Minho didn’t believe him, the human didn’t say a word, instead getting out of the car and then coming around to open the door for Chan. As luck would have it, Chan took one shaky step outside of the car and then immediately emptied the contents of his stomach all over the ground and Minho’s shoes.</p><p class="p1"><em>Oh god, oh god, what have I done.</em> A second wave of nausea hit Chan, this one seemingly prompted by his shame and he wretched again, not as much coming up as last time. He was sent into a short coughing fit, spittle flying as he bent over, hands clutching his bag to his stomach.</p><p class="p1">“Shit, Chan, you should have said something.” Minho fretted, seemingly unconcerned that Chan had ruined his nice shoes.</p><p class="p1">Careful not to let Chan step in his mess, Minho helped him out of the car, taking the duffel bag from Chan and putting it over his shoulder while holding Chan up with his other arm. For a moment, in Chan’s woozy state, he felt almost warm, supported by Minho’s strong, warm hold. Part of him wanted to lean into the human’s touch, and he was too weak to resist, letting his head fall against his shoulder. His eyes were barely open as Minho led him up to the house and it took some creative maneuvering for Minho to get his and Chan’s vomit-covered shoes off before they entered the house.</p><p class="p1">Chan expected to be greeted with chaos, as he remembered that there were six other hybrids who lived in the house. But upon stepping inside, he noticed it was quiet and peaceful. The house was warm, with worn, but nice furniture - fun knickknacks and decorations decorated the walls. The inside was just as rustic as the outside, with exposed beaming making up the roof of what he could now confirm was a three story home.</p><p class="p1">“Welcome home.” Minho said simply, glancing at him before looking the house. “I had a whole tour ready. But I think you should wash up first.”</p><p class="p1">Right, Chan could still taste the acid in his mouth and he grimaced. “I’m so sorry.”</p><p class="p1">“It’s not your fault.” Minho said immediately, squeezing Chan around his waist where he was holding him up. “Let me show you around quickly.”</p><p class="p1">Chan nodded and Minho slowly began to walk him around. It was a very quick tour of the first floor, with Minho seemingly cognizant of Chan needing to get cleaned up. They passed by the living room, dining room, a reading room and a huge kitchen before heading up to the second floor. Minho directed Chan to his room first, making sure he knew it was alright to get Minho if he ever needed anything. Next was was Minho’s office, the bathroom and finally <em>Chan’s</em> room.</p><p class="p1">Chan was surprised when Minho opened the door to a large room, bigger than he’d seen even when he was younger. It had one bed and all the decorations and bedding were a soft blue. There were two large windows, both with the curtains closed for privacy, but Chan was sure the natural light could brighten the entire room with the size of them. He noticed there were no personal possessions, almost like it had been empty before he’d come.</p><p class="p1">“This will be your room.” Minho said, putting Chan’s bag down on his bed and then helping the hybrid to sit down. “For as long as you want.”</p><p class="p1">Chan blinked at him in surprise, before peering around, still not quite understanding what he was seeing. Finally, he asked the question that had been on his mind since they got there. “W-where..” He cleared his throat, wincing at how raw it felt. “Where are the others?”</p><p class="p1">“Out at the creek most likely.” Minho said as he started unzipping Chan’s duffel-bag and pulling out the clothes Chan had packed. Chan watched as the human frowned a little, as he rubbed the material of a pair of Chan’s sweatpants, taking in the pilling and thin fabric. “I didn’t want them to overwhelm you.”</p><p class="p1">“Oh..” Chan said, nodding a little. “And where do they sleep?”</p><p class="p1">“Their den is up on the third floor.” Minho answered, pulling out a t-shirt and wrinkling his nose as he found a hole in the armpit. “It’s chaotic though, so don’t feel pressured to go up there.”</p><p class="p1">“Thanks for the warning.” Chan fiddled with the sleeves of the long-sleeved black shirt he was wearing. “Sorry, I would have brought more but we mostly share everything, and—“</p><p class="p1">“No, I have new clothes for you anyway.” Minho cut him off, placing Chan’s clothes aside. “These are too thin anyway, it gets cold out here. Let me get you something from—“</p><p class="p1">“No!” Chan tried not to yell, and winced again. He reached for the clothes Minho had put aside and brought them to his lap. “Please, these are fine. This is fine, I can still wear these.”</p><p class="p1">“Chan their falling apart, they…” Minho trailed off, the look on his face turning from exasperated to something slightly sad. Despite his obvious misgivings he just sighed and nodded. “Okay, but there <em>are</em> new clothes in the drawers and closets for you.”</p><p class="p1">Chan nodded, relaxing slightly, but still holding his old clothes in an iron grip. Minho still looked somewhat skeptical, but didn’t say anything else about his clothing. Instead, he beckoned Chan to the bathroom so that he could shower. Showing him how to use everything and giving him his own towel, washcloth and toothbrush. He told Chan he’d be up in about fifteen minutes with something gentle to eat and to make himself comfortable.</p><p class="p1">Chan showered on auto-pilot, almost as if so much was happening that his mind couldn’t even process it. He scrubbed as his face, letting the water fall into his mouth so that he could rinse, not able to wait until brushing his teeth. He spent the longest time combing through the fur of his tail, trying to self-soothe before having to face Minho again. Letting the sound of the water and the steam cocoon him from the new world he’d been dragged into.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed it! I promise this is going to get less sad and more soft soon enough!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Gray Cat [Minho]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>Finally, the cat looked up, a neutral expression on his face.</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've been fairly busy lately, so finding time to write has been difficult. I'm really glad I was able to edit this chapter for you guys before the work week though. I appreciate everyone who has given this story kudos and taken the time to comment, it really means a lot to me and is huge motivation in me continuing to write!</p>
<p>In this chapter we meet the first of Minho's hybrids. I wonder whomst it could be?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Minho</em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">Minho sighed, finally taking his coat off once he got downstairs and draping it over the couch in the living room as he passed through. The past hour and a half had been, <em>interesting</em>, to say the least. He wasn’t regretting it, absolutely not, but he did wish he were slightly better at being comforting. He could tell Chan was upset, but there wasn’t much he could do about it at the moment. Of course, there were Chan’s pills, but he didn’t want to push them on the hybrid at the slightest sign of discomfort. If Chan needed them, he would ask, but otherwise Minho would try to deal with this in a more traditional way.</p>
<p class="p1">He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, pausing outside the kitchen to take a deep breath. He had to remember that Chan’s trauma was nothing like he had any experience with. None of his cats had dealt with Abandonment. Deaths, unfortunate circumstances and boredom, but nothing like what Chan had been through. Chan had been made <em>Un-Wanted</em> in a world where that almost never happened.</p>
<p class="p1">Minho clenched his fists, the anger still rising in him whenever he thought about the circumstances that had gotten Chan to this point. Any fears he had of his own inadequacy were pushed a way in favor of being determined to do right by the hybrid.</p>
<p class="p1">He headed into the kitchen, hoping he could find something light for Chan to eat after throwing up. What he hadn’t expected was to see Seungmin, balanced cross-legged on one of the kitchen island barstools. Minho heaved a sigh, folding his arms across his chest as he waited for the gray-haired cat to look up from the book that Minho knew he wasn’t actually reading.</p>
<p class="p1">Of course, as stubborn as he was, he refused to even glance in Minho’s direction.</p>
<p class="p1">“<em>Seungmin.</em>” Minho said lowly, approaching the hybrid. He watched as one of the cat’s large, rounded ears twitched slightly in his direction. “Seungmin, you're supposed to be <em>out of the house</em> with the others.”</p>
<p class="p1">Finally, the cat looked up, a neutral expression on his face. Minho’s eyebrow twitched slightly, as he fought between absolutely melting at Seungmin’s sweet face and staying annoyed with him for not being able to follow directions. Seungmin had a difficult personality and it was only made worse by the fact that he was absolutely adorable.</p>
<p class="p1">“I slipped away when Changbin had to break up a dunking fight between Hyunjin and Jisung.” A slight smirk curled across Seungmin’s lips, his tail similarly curling up, pleased. “And I forgot my book inside.”</p>
<p class="p1">Chances were Seungmin<em> left</em> his book on purpose, but nevertheless. “The two of them are going to smell awful when they get back.” Minho groused as he began searching the cabinets for crackers or peanut butter. “Why did they even go that far into the creek.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Hyunjin ‘accidentally’ pushed Jisung.” Seungmin said, the quotation marks implied in his voice. “And it got out of hand.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Of course.” Minho rolled his eyes. “Do we have any—“</p>
<p class="p1">“Felix and I made sandwiches earlier.” Seungmin offered, putting his book down and slipping gracefully off of his seat and going to the refrigerator. “The ‘vultures’ ate most of them,” Seungmin pulled out a plastic container. “But we left some behind just in case.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho turned and looked at Seungmin, fighting the urge to smile softly. Was Seungmin a pain in his ass? Absolutely. Did he tend to be contrarian just to annoy Minho and the others. Yes? But could he be heartachingly sweet and thoughtful? Most of the time, he was.</p>
<p class="p1">“Thank you.” Minho said sincerely. “I don’t know how much he’ll eat, but I appreciate it.”</p>
<p class="p1">“What kind of welcome would it be if I let him eat whatever you were planning to give him?” Seungmin said, putting the container on the counter. “When do we meet him?”</p>
<p class="p1">“You know that’s up to him.” Minho said, tactfully ignoring the first part of Seungmin’s sentence. “And you had better not bother him.” Minho picked up the container and narrowed his eyes. “I mean it, Seungmin.”</p>
<p class="p1">“I’ve been through this just as many times as you have.” Seungmin flicked his tail imperiously before grabbing a bottle of water and passing it over. “It’s the others you have to worry about.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho hated to admit it, but Seungmin was right. He’d taken Seungmin when he was only twenty-one and Seungmin had been sixteen. His mother had been a wild Cat, and she’d watched her whole litter die of sickness before finally bringing Seungmin to the humans when he fell ill as her final kitten. She’d begged Minho to take him, and despite his young age and busy school life, Minho had. Insisting that he take care of Seungmin himself and refusing to give him up to a clinic.</p>
<p class="p1">“What.” Seungmin narrowed his eyes, noticing Minho staring at him. “<em>Stop </em>looking at me like that.”</p>
<p class="p1">Seungmin didn’t have the same instinct to please that a lot of human-raised Cats had. He was mischievous and stubborn for no reason other than to be annoying. But he was still miles better than the first few months they lived together when Seungmin would hiss at him whenever he entered the room. In comparison, they were practically best friends now.</p>
<p class="p1">“Nothing.” Minho said warmly, wishing he had a hand free to ruffle Seungmin’s hair. “Thank you. If the others come back early, can you try and keep them contained to this area?”</p>
<p class="p1">“I’ll <em>try.”</em> Seungmin said, sounding exasperated. Minho knew, though, that he could count on the hybrid to do his best.</p>
<p class="p1">- - - -</p>
<p class="p1">Minho made his way back upstairs, relieved to see that Chan had showered on his own and opened the new toothbrush he’d set out for him. The door to Chan’s room was closed, so he knocked gently to alert the hybrid that he was coming in before slowly pushing the door open.</p>
<p class="p1">He stepped inside the room, surprised to see Chan sitting primly on the edge of the bed, hands folded neatly in his lap and eyes immediately on Minho. If he hadn’t seen the items laid out across the bed, Minho would have thought that Chan had been sitting there waiting for him the whole time. He didn’t think it was possible for anyone to be as uncomfortable as Changbin had been when he’d first come to live with Minho, but then again not many had been what Chan had been through.</p>
<p class="p1">“You can make yourself comfortable.” Minho said as he walked toward him, eyeing the items on his bed. “I brought you something to eat.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Thanks.” Chan waited until the human held out the plastic container before reluctantly taking it and setting it in his lap. Then he just stared at Minho expectantly, like he didn’t know what to do without being told.</p>
<p class="p1">Minho frowned, trying not to let his frustration show. Then he noticed a plastic bag full of cookies lying on the bed next to Chan’s meager pile of clothes. “Or if you’d rather eat those.”</p>
<p class="p1">Chan followed Minho’s gaze to the cookies and then ducked his head, ears folding back. “I don’t think I can stomach anything right now.”</p>
<p class="p1">Right. Even if it had just been nerves, Chan probably didn’t want to risk upsetting his stomach again. Minho just didn’t like the idea of his having <em>nothing</em> to eat at all. Food was often the way to a hybrid’s heart, as the saying went and without it - well, he was going to have to hope Chan fell for his personality.</p>
<p class="p1">“You know, this isn’t a punishment. I want you to feel comfortable here.”</p>
<p class="p1">Chan’s face was neutral as he blinked slowly at Minho, before looking down at the sandwhich container in his lap. The silence was almost deafening between them, with Minho shifting slightly on his feet being the only sound. But then, Chan let out a quiet sigh, still looking down.</p>
<p class="p1">“I’m not meant to be here.”</p>
<p class="p1">His voice was almost inaudible, and Minho almost missed the soft-spoken sentence. But once his brain processed what he had heard, he stiffened, falling somewhere between shocked and saddened by such an admission.</p>
<p class="p1">“Of course you are, I asked for you to be here.” He said immediately.</p>
<p class="p1">“A lot of people have <em>asked</em> for me..” Chan lifted a hand to his lips, pressing his fingers there as if stopping himself from saying more. His tail curled onto his lap and Chan grabbed it with his free hand. “I’m being ungrateful, I apologize.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho watched as Chan began scratching into the fur of his tail, almost as though he were grooming himself. But his nails were digging repeatedly into the same spots, almost like a tic. He pursed his lips, reminding himself to do a more thorough once-over of Chan’s records, realizing that there was a lot about Chan’s behaviors that he probably needed to keep an eye on. Jisung had gone through a brief period of over-grooming due to stress when they had first moved and ended up with terrible irritating wounds.</p>
<p class="p1">“Humans can be stupid.” Minho said bluntly. “But their loss is my gain.”</p>
<p class="p1">Honestly, there was a lot more than Minho could say about the people who had passed Chan up after hearing about his diagnosis’.He was at least happy that no one had decided to go through with adopting him with the intention of trying to treat him like any other hybrid. He could only imagine that with the wrong people, Chan’s problems could have been exacerbated. Minho had gone through things as gently and quietly as possible and Chan was still acting like a cornered mouse.</p>
<p class="p1">“Chan,” He reached out, almost reaching to stroke behind the cat’s ears, before deciding better of it. He put his hand on the hybrid’s shoulder instead. “I really am happy you're here.”</p>
<p class="p1">Chan’s head turned slowly, looking up at Minho with his wide brown eyes. He looked so… <em>lost</em>, in that moment, as though the words the human spoke didn’t make any sense. But he also didn’t shy away from Minho’s touch, almost leaning into it. When was the last time anyone had been so genuine to Chan? Made him feel honestly wanted as though he weren’t a passing fancy? Minho knew the shelter workers did a lot to make the cats’ in their care comfortable, but it was only ever supposed to be temporary. He and the others were going to have prove that their love wasn’t didn’t come with a ticking timer. That it was his, unconditionally, for as long as he wanted it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kudos and comments are loved!! Hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Midnight Snack [Chan]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Love. <i>He thought, his heart squeezing.</i> Family.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! Thank you all for leaving such nice comments, I really wanted to answer them but I've been quite busy! Aah, just know that seeing them really does warm my heart and it inspires me to keep writing. This fic has been taking a bit to write, not for lack of ideas but just because I'm tired. Hopefully I'll be able to write more around the winter holidays.</p>
<p>But I'm glad I was able to find the time to finish and post this! I know anticipation on fic update can be killer. Please enjoy! :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Chan</em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">He couldn’t sleep.</p>
<p class="p1">And Chan had tried, in all earnestness, to attempt to fall asleep. He’d put all of his belongings on the dresser, not really wanting to deal with the idea of putting them away anywhere. He had so few things, it wasn’t like they took up much surface space anyway. He managed to eat one half of the sandwich before giving up and putting that to the side too. His appetite was nonexistent, and the food didn’t taste like anything. He knew it was all in his head, but after forcing himself to function through the whole day, he tried to be kind to his body and let it be.</p>
<p class="p1">Instead, he climbed into bed, under the covers and stared up at the high ceiling. The bed was comfortable, plush and so much bigger than anything he had ever slept on. He could spread his arms out on either side and they didn’t hang off the bed. The sheets and comforter smelled fresh and clean and maybe under different circumstances he’d be asleep in minutes.</p>
<p class="p1">But he couldn’t sleep. This wasn’t his home. This wasn’t his small bed, in a square room with the moon shining down on him through thin curtains. Despite the fact that he’d slept by himself for years, he never felt more alone than he did right now. He couldn’t wrap his mind around how he was supposed to even <em>exist</em> from this point forward. He wished he could go to sleep, then maybe he’d wake up and this would turn out to be all a weird dream.</p>
<p class="p1">As he lay there in the quiet dark, he tried to strain his hearing for sounds of life coming from the house. There were six other cats who lived here, and despite their known ability to walk softly, Chan was sure he should be able to hear some commotion. But for most of the night, there was nothing but silence.</p>
<p class="p1">It wasn’t until Chan was fairly zoned out that his ears pricked to the sound of shifting outside of his room. He tensed in his bed, gripping the sheets in his hands before taking a deep breath to calm himself down. Slowly, he sat up and looked toward the door. It was dark, and he couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but he could hear the sounds of feet and the slight rustling of clothing. From what he could tell, there was definitely more than one person standing outside of his bedroom door.</p>
<p class="p1">For a moment, he wondered if they were just going to barge in. Maybe threaten him for thinking he could come in and take one of their spots. Chan tried to banish the notion from his mind. He might think Minho was crazy for taking him in, but he didn’t think the human would purposely put him in danger.</p>
<p class="p1">He slipped out of bed, and walked silently toward the door, hearing whispers as he got closer. Whomever was outside, they weren’t doing a great job of remaining inconspicuous about their presence. After flipping on the light switch so that it wouldn’t be totally dark, Chan opened the door.</p>
<p class="p1">Standing awkwardly in the hallway were two hybrids, both about Chan’s height and both dressed in expensive looking satin pajamas. Silence fell upon all three of them as they stared at one another, blinking in the light that filtered from Chan’s room. Suddenly, the one with white ears and ash-blonde hair’s eyes widened as he stared at Chan, something akin to awe in his big eyes. His companion at least had the sense to look sheepish and a little intimidated, clinging to one of the blonde hybrid’s arms.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan could tell they were younger than him at least. And honestly, he found himself relaxing slightly from seeing them. Chan could handle kittens, even if these ones were pretty much full grown. “Are you alright?”</p>
<p class="p1">The two hybrids blinked, the blonde one still seemed slightly in a daze. But the other cat, with red-furred ears that were slightly rounded gaped openly at him. “<em>Dude</em>, this isn’t even your house and your asking if <em>we’re</em> okay?”</p>
<p class="p1">Chan furrowed his brow in confusion at first, before realizing how absurd the question was. “Ah, its a force of habit.” He explained. “Did you need anything from me?”</p>
<p class="p1">“No, uh, actually now that I think about it we probably shouldn’t have woken you up. <em>Shit</em>, Minho’s gonna be pissed.” The red-eared cat hissed the last sentence to himself, tail lashing behind him. “But really, we didn’t wake you did we?”</p>
<p class="p1">“No, I couldn’t sleep.” Chan admitted, glancing at the other hybrid who still hadn’t spoken and was openly staring at him.</p>
<p class="p1">“Oh good! Not that you couldn’t sleep! That’s bad!” Jisung said quickly. He cleared his throat, ears twitching in embarrassment. “Let’s start over. My name is Jisung.” He gestured toward the blue collar around his neck where his name was engraved. He looked over at the blonde beside him, rolled his eyes and shook him slightly. “Yes, he’s pretty, snap out of it, creep.”</p>
<p class="p1">Both Chan and the blonde hybrid startled at Jisung’s words. But at the very least it stopped the white-eared cat from staring. His ears flickered back, clearly embarrassed by his behavior as he introduced himself. “I’m Felix.”</p>
<p class="p1">Chan tilted his head a little, surprised at the rich deep voice from such a delicate looking cat. There was also Jisung’s comment, but he quickly disregarded it, figuring that Jisung was just saying it to be funny. Chan found himself almost.. at ease, talking to the two hybrids like this. He’d ever had a problem with other’s of his kind, and in a way this was the most sense of normalcy he’d had all day.</p>
<p class="p1">“I’m Chan, nice to meet you.”</p>
<p class="p1"><em>“Chan.</em>” The low timbre of Felix’s voice sounded almost awed. “We’re happy to have you.”</p>
<p class="p1">The black-haired hybrid tried to keep his face neutral at that statement, unwilling to unpack it at the moment. Instead, he just shuffled awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of what was next.</p>
<p class="p1">“Um, you wanna go sneak into the kitchen and get chocolate chip cookies with us?” Jisung piped up suddenly. Both Felix and Chan looked at him in surprise and he simply shrugged. “Why not? We’re all up anyway!”</p>
<p class="p1">“I already have…” Chan started, thinking of the cookies he’d brought with him from the Shelter. But then Jisung and Felix turned their big, pleading eyes to look at him and he could feel his resistance crumble. He’d always had a soft spot for kittens, and these two were no exception. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair before nodding. “Okay - right, sure.”</p>
<p class="p1">Jisung hissed a ‘yesss!’ and pumped his fist while Felix bounced a little on his toes, clapping his hands together cheerfully. Chan could only offer them a weak smile as he followed them from his room and down the dark hallway. While Felix and Jisung were quiet, he could still hear them giggling in the dark, leading Chan to believe this wasn’t as mischievous an activity as he first believed. He wondered if Minho even had strict rules for them - specific meal time, lights out and daily schedules. The human certainly hadn’t mentioned anything like that, but Chan found him even harder to read than most humans.</p>
<p class="p1">He found himself lost in his own thoughts even as he followed Felix and Jisung into the kitchen, only bringing himself out of it when he noticed just how big the space was. He stood still as Felix flicked on a single light, bathing the kitchen in a warm, soft orange. There was an island in the middle of the kitchen with several stools and a basket of fruit sitting out on the table. Past that was a large dining room table with a number of chairs around it. The area was spacious, with enough counter space and room for multiple people to be able to move around comfortably.</p>
<p class="p1">It sort of reminded him of the Shelter kitchen in that way, though not nearly as sterile and industrial. There was a hominess to the folded red and white dish cloths and multicolored tools on the countertops. At least four different boxes of cereal were sitting on top of the refrigerator and there were colorful magnets stuck to its front.</p>
<p class="p1">As Felix and Jisung rummaged through the cabinets, Chan found himself wandering over to the refrigerator to get a better look. On closer inspection he noticed there weren’t just magnets, but also a multitude of pictures. He recognized Felix and Jisung in some of them, but the others he could only guess were the hybrids he hadn’t met yet. They all looked very close to one another, cuddling together in pictures and smiling brightly at the camera. He found Minho in a few, though in ever picture was being smothered by whichever hybrids were with him.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan blinked, his eyes stinging oddly as he reached up to wipe away the wetness gathering. <em>Love.</em> He thought, his heart squeezing. <em>Family.</em></p>
<p class="p1">“Chan?” Felix’s gentle voice startled him. “We got the cookies.”</p>
<p class="p1">“And milk too!” Jisung added.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan straightened suddenly, not even realizing how closely he had bent over to get a look at the pictures. He blinked rapidly, trying to hide the evidence of his near tears, but judging by the soft look on Felix’s face, he had’t been completely successful. Ducking his head, he joined them at the kitchen island, carefully sliding onto a stool one seat away from Felix, just to give the other hybrid some space.</p>
<p class="p1">“Here you go.” Jisung pushed a glass of milk towards him and then moved the container of cookies so that it was between all three of them. “Felix and Seungminnie made these themselves!”</p>
<p class="p1">Chan looked over at Felix who smiled brightly and nodded. For a moment, no one moved until Chan realized that the other two were waiting for him to take a cookie first. Flustered, he reached over and quickly grabbed the first cookie his fingers touched, unused to having such attention on him. It had always been his job to make sure the kittens ate first and ate well, he would forgo meals until late in the night sometimes just to make sure everyone else had gotten their share.</p>
<p class="p1">He hesitated for just a moment before taking a cautious bite of the cookie, his cheeks burning as he tried to ignore their eyes on him. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but the moment the crumbly, sweet flavor touched his tongue his eyes widened in surprise. <em>Oh!</em></p>
<p class="p1">It was like the floodgates had opened and he quickly devoured the rest of the cookie, moaning slightly at the taste he had never quite experienced before. The cookies they gave them at the Shelter had always been his favorite, but these - <em>these</em><span class="s1"><em> were magnificent.</em></span></p>
<p class="p1">“I think he likes them.” Jisung teased, but he seemed genuinely pleased as he reached over to take a cookie himself. “You’ve caught another, Lix.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Very, <em>very</em> good.” Chan finally said once he had swallowed, looking a bit dazed. His face felt flush, but this time from genuine joy. “I’ve never tasted anything like that!”</p>
<p class="p1">Felix giggled, an absolutely charming sound considering before nudging the container towards Chan again so that he would take another. “I’m so glad you like them! I’m sure Minnie will be happy to hear it as well.”</p>
<p class="p1">Chan didn’t hesitate when taking another cookie this time, eating it with the fervor of a starving kitten. There was something about these cookies that felt warm, and light and <em>home</em>. Maybe it was cliche, but Chan could taste the care that went into them.</p>
<p class="p1">They ate the rest in a comfortable silence, Chan finally taking a long drink of his milk once he’d managed to demolish four cookies and his stomach gave him a gentle reminder of what had happened earlier. With a sigh, he cradled his milk in both hands in order to stop himself from reaching for one of the last treats.</p>
<p class="p1">“Thank you so much.” Chan said. “Really, I’m so impressed.”</p>
<p class="p1">Felix shrugged a shoulder. “It’s a fun hobby. I’m glad I can share with everyone now. When I first started…”</p>
<p class="p1">“He was a mess. Both of them were.” Jisung chimed in, shaking his head as crumbs fell from his chin. “There was so much smoke from the oven once that we had to call the Fire Department and Minho came home to a firetruck in the driveway.”</p>
<p class="p1">Felix ducked his head sheepishly, while Chan looked somewhat alarmed. Though judging from their reaction, it apparently wasn’t a huge deal. To Chan though, it sounded chaotic and worrying. Just what exactly did they all get up to? Could Minho even keep a handle on all of them?</p>
<p class="p1">“Don’t worry, we haven’t had another incident like that since we moved here.” Jisung assured him. “And we all know how to use the fire extinguisher now anyway.”</p>
<p class="p1">“That’s good…” Chan said, trying to sound reassured.</p>
<p class="p1">“Do you have any hobbies, Chan?” Felix asked before taking a gulp of his milk. “Minho never tells us much whenever someone new shows up.”</p>
<p class="p1">The way Felix said it so nonchalantly felt weird to Chan in a way he couldn’t quite describe. Maybe because he had been expecting hostility, or at least distrust among a group already so big. But he could tell from Felix’s tone that he was genuinely curious.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan bit his lip, his ears flicking back as he looked at his glass. “Well, I…” He stopped abruptly, his mind blanking for a moment. What <em>did</em> he do that could be considered a hobby? Looking after kittens? Making copies for Ja-yeon? “I had been starting to learn to use the computer…”</p>
<p class="p1">He glanced up to see Jisung and Felix look at one another in surprise and he felt his ears flatten further against his skull. God, this was so embarrassing. He had no skills or interests whatsoever that could be of any interest to anyone. His mind briefly wandered back to when he was young, living with his family but he shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts.</p>
<p class="p1">“Hey, Chan.”</p>
<p class="p1">A gentle touch on his shoulder almost caused him to jump and he looked over to see Felix had moved closer to him. The hybrid’s brown eyes were gentle. “That’s great. We could definitely help you with that, right, Sungie?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Definitely!” Jisung said immediately, giving him a thumbs up.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan nodded, looking away though, still embarrassed. He could feel himself trembling, an uncomfortable prickle crawling up his spine. <em>Useless. </em>A soft voice whispered in the back of his mind, the one that he could never tell if it meant him or his actions or if the distinction even mattered. He felt himself retreating farther, his vision becoming foggy and gray when he suddenly felt the vibrations of purring on his shoulder. Gentle hands combed through his hair and he felt a cheek pressed against his shoulder, deep rumbling purrs bringing him back to the present.</p>
<p class="p1">“You okay, Chan?”</p>
<p class="p1">Jisung’s voice was soft and concerned and Chan squinted up. In the single dim light he could see that the red-eared cat had abandoned his seat across the island and come to Chan’s side, one hand on his back. Felix had curled in closer to his other side, purring and petting Chan’s hair to help soothe him.</p>
<p class="p1">“I-I’m sorry.” Chan felt ill, but in his chest this time and not his stomach. It was a squirming feeling that made it hard to chase away bad thoughts. <em>When was the last time he’d taken his medicine?</em> Squeezing his eyes shut, Chan sniffled. “I’m <em>really</em> sorry.”</p>
<p class="p1">“You have nothing to be sorry for!” Jisung said, letting the obvious worry color his voice. “Your okay, okay?”</p>
<p class="p1"><em>I’m not okay.</em> He wanted to say as the tears slipped from his eyes. But he couldn’t explain that to these two, how would they even understand? They didn’t need to be burdened with his issues, not after they had been so kind to him. Unable to keep it in anymore, Chan let out a broken sob, leaning forward to bury his face in his arms on the counter even as Jisung and Felix continued to whisper quiet words of affirmation in his ears.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thats two and three that we've met! Jillix, our sweet troublemakers. It got a little sad there at the end, but everything will be alright!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Break [Chan]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>Minho must have told them not to stare because they were all a little too uninterested.</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ah, I'm glad everyone enjoyed the Jilix interactions. Their super fun to write! Especially since even Chan can't resist their cheerful enthusiasm.</p><p>I feel like I said this would get happier soon, and yet... </p><p>Brace yourselves.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Chan</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>Warm.</em>
</p><p class="p1">Chan didn’t know why, but the warmth surrounding him felt different from the familar, well-worn duvet he had slept beneath for years. The heat was different from that of insulation, it felt like there were other bodies pressed against him. A comforting pressure that he’d hadn’t experienced in years. When was the last time? The first night Noyu and Naru had come to the Shelter? The girls had snuck out of bed and come to see him, afraid of sleeping alone in a strange place for the first time. He’d talked and talked until both kittens fell asleep by his side, curled up with each other. That was a nice memory, Chan remembered feeling happy that he could give them the comfort he never received.</p><p class="p1">Chan frowned, eyes squeezing shut as his thoughts turned dim. Taking in a deep breath, he immediately became aware that the scent was different. His body froze in place, as he realized that there was <em>nothing</em> familiar in the air. His heart thumped wildly in his chest and he opened his eyes, wincing immediately at the brightness in the room.</p><p class="p1">It took a moment for him to focus and remember where he was. But he quickly glanced around and noticed that he was on the couch in the unfamiliar living room. <em>That’s right, last night.</em> Chan felt his body flush as he remembered what had happened the night before after he had cried in front of Jisung and Felix. The other two hybrids had stuck to his side, rubbing his back and petting his hair. Eventually they had moved to the couch in the living room and curled up together as Chan eventually sobbed himself to exhaustion.</p><p class="p1">His head was currently pillowed on Felix’s stomach, arms tangled with the other cat’s legs. He could feel Jisung’s head on his hip, his own tail curled comfortably over the other hybrid’s body.It was so strange, feeling the warmth of bodies instead of just a lifeless blanket. He couldn’t deny that it felt good after so long, though he was embarrassed at how they had ended up in this position in the first place.</p><p class="p1">At the same time, he felt no desire to actually move, far too comfortable and still quite tired. Instead, he closed his eyes, willing his body to relax again as he dozed contentedly.</p><p class="p1">Eventually, his ears began picking up the sound of movement, it was quiet at first, growing clearer as he honed in on where the sound was coming from. He could hear the faint clink of dishes and the soft murmuring of talking coming from the direction of the kitchen.</p><p class="p1">Right, it wasn’t just the three of them here.</p><p class="p1">He felt Jisung’s head move against him and then felt his body jostle gently as the other cat began stretching his limbs, yawning widely before wrapping his arms around Chan’s leg. For a moment Chan thought he’d gone back to sleep until he spoke.</p><p class="p1">“S’that bacon?” Jisung murmured, his words slightly sleep slurred.</p><p class="p1">“If Innie’s cooking.” Came Felix’s mumbled reply, much to Chan’s surprise. “Y’know Innie only cooks if he can make bacon.”</p><p class="p1">“Little carnivore…” Jisung rubbed his face into Chan’s hip before yawning again and looking up at the black-haired cat. “Good morning, <em>baby</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Chan blinked in alarm, eyes widening. “G-good morning?”</p><p class="p1">“Don’t mind him, Chan.” Felix shifted around a little bit, but put a hand on Chan’s head so that he wouldn’t move. “He’s been calling everyone that for the last two months.”</p><p class="p1">“It’s my signature.” Jisung confirmed.</p><p class="p1">“Huh.” Chan let out a little puff. He reached up with one hand to rub at his eyes, glad to find that they felt okay even after he’d cried so much last night.</p><p class="p1">They all lay comfortable with one another for a while longer. Felix played idly with Chan’s hair, even petting lightly behind his ears while Jisung occasionally rubbed his cheek against Chan’s hip, purring quietly. The older hybrid wasn’t sure what to think of these straightforward affections. He supposed he’d done the same thing whenever kittens had been brought to the Shelter. Physical comfort was often very important to grieving or scared little ones. But he wasn’t a kitten, he shouldn’t need to be placated like this.</p><p class="p1">And yet despite his conflicted feelings, he didn’t move and instead found himself relaxing into the gentle ministrations. He couldn’t deny that their actions felt good to him and he craved the touch and warmth of other bodies against his own.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“We know you’ve been up! Breakfast is ready!”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Jisung was the first to pop up when an annoyed voice cut through the peaceful silence. Chan followed after much slower, ears back as he peeked over the edge of the couch. Standing in the entrance to the kitchen was a tall hybrid, with neatly cut gray hair and gray ears. Despite his disapproving look, his face was rather sweet and obviously young. Other than the same type of expensive looking pajamas Jisung and Felix were wearing, he also had a blue apron tied around waist.</p><p class="p1">“Seungminnie, did you help Jeongin cook?” Jisung trilled happily, seemingly unphased by the other hybrid’s scowl. “Your too good to us, Minnie.”</p><p class="p1">“I’m going to let Changbin eat all the meat if you don’t hurry up.” Seungmin retorted and then with a flick of his gray tail he turned and went back into the kitchen.</p><p class="p1">Chan stared after him with wide-eyes, stuck somewhere between intimidated and intrigued. The hybrid hadn’t even given him a second glance, but surely he had noticed an unfamiliar face? Chan wasn’t sure if he was quite ready to face the others, not after his breakdown last night. What would he even say to them? He didn’t feel prepared at all.</p><p class="p1">Unfortunately, Jisung didn’t give him much of a chance to think it over. He quickly leapt off the couch, pulling Chan up with him. Felix was apparently the most reluctant to get up, eyes still closed, though he was very clearly not actually asleep. Jisung had to physically drag him off the couch onto the floor and only then did the white-eared cat open his eyes and get up.</p><p class="p1">Both Jisung and Felix seemed rather jovial once they were completely awake. They quickly latched themselves onto either side of Chan, not quite subtly making sure he didn’t escape before breakfast time.</p><p class="p1">It was only when they finally stepped foot in the kitchen that Chan froze, unable to move as his eyes landed on the kitchen table on the far side of the large room. He could practically hear his heart pounding against his chest, the back of his neck prickling uncomfortably. To his relief, Jisung and Felix didn’t pull him forward and instead let him go with lingering pats of encouragement. He watched as Jisung immediately flounced over to where Minho was sitting at the head of the table and wrapped his arms around the human while Felix made a bee-line for an empty seat, smiling cheerfully at the other hybrids who were already digging in.</p><p class="p1">Chan gulped as he assessed the situation in front of him. Minho was sitting at the head of the table, looking vaguely annoyed but reaching up to scratch Jisung’s ears regardless. The others were crowded around the table, digging into their breakfast food while conversing with one another. He noticed a few fleeting glances his way, but Chan had a feeling Minho must have told them not to stare because they were all a little <em>too</em> uninterested.</p><p class="p1">“Chan!” Jisung beckoned once he unwound himself from Minho. “Come sit and eat before its all gone!”</p><p class="p1">Only then did Minho look up at him, raising an eyebrow in Chan’s direction. The black-haired hybrid glanced down, hands curling into fists as he tried to calm himself down. There was no point in trying to avoid it any longer, they all knew he was here and had seen him. And he didn’t plan on staying long, right? Might as well make the best of it.</p><p class="p1">He slowly padded across the kitchen, ears still folded back some as he hesitantly reached an empty seat next to Jisung and a black-haired cat with a surprisingly fashionable undercut and large black ears. He bit his lip before slowly sliding the chair out and taking a seat, his tail immediately curling around to land in his lap where he scratched at the fur.</p><p class="p1">It had been so long since he had been the ‘newcomer’, he wasn’t even sure how he was supposed to behave. Especially when there were no rules, seemingly no schedule. How was he supposed to just… exist.</p><p class="p1">“D’you want me to fix you a plate, Chan?” Jisung asked cheerfully.</p><p class="p1">Chan glanced up a little startled as his eyes wandered over the food set out on the table. He was slightly mortified at the idea of trying to reach over anyone for food and nodded to Jisung.</p><p class="p1">“Hey Innie! Fix Chan a plate!” Jisung yelled down the table.</p><p class="p1">The silver-haired hybrid seated next to Minho looked over suddenly, a look of disgust on his otherwise adorable face. “Get it yourself, ’sung. I already cooked!”</p><p class="p1">“Rude.” Jisung huffed and then turned his attention to the next cat. “Hyunjinnie…”</p><p class="p1">Chan felt his face burning as Jisung proceeded to pester the others, obviously not wanting to do anymore work than he had to. At this rate, Chan sort of wanted to just crawl under the table and die. He still had a bag of cookies up in his room that he could nibble on if he really got desperately hungry.</p><p class="p1">“Hey, you okay?”</p><p class="p1">Chan glanced to the side, surprised to see that the cat next to him was looking at him. Beneath his dark fringe of her were a pair of intense eyes, his face hard to read, but his voice had been surprisingly soft.</p><p class="p1">“Yes, s-sorry.” Chan mumbled, not even sure what he was apologizing for.</p><p class="p1">“Jisung can be a little much.” The hybrid easily ignored Chan’s unnecessary apology. “He means well, though.”</p><p class="p1">Chan nodded, glancing over at Jisung to see that he had finally given up and was fixing a plate of food himself.</p><p class="p1">“I’m Changbin, by the way.”</p><p class="p1">“Chan.”</p><p class="p1">“Nice to meet you.” And then Changbin smiled, his face becoming softer with the gentle curl of his lips. “If you need anything, feel free to ask.”</p><p class="p1">Chan nodded, feeling surprisingly comforted at the sincerity in Changbin’s voice. Not a moment later, a plate was sat down in front of him, filled with scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes. It smelled heavenly, and Chan’s mouth couldn’t help but water. He looked up at Jisung who was smiling kindly at him before the hybrid winked and motioned for him to eat.</p><p class="p1">Chan picked up his chopsticks, hesitating only a second before reaching for a piece of potato. It was easier to focus on eating and let the conversation around him fade into background noise as he kept his eyes focused on his plate. It had been so much easier when it had just been two of them, but now that he was surrounded by all seven strangers he felt small and insignificant. At least at the shelter he felt like he had some sort of purpose. Who was he supposed to be now?</p><p class="p1">He was able to ignore most of what was going on around him until he heard Minho clear his throat from the head of the table. The cacophony of noise got a little quieter, though there was still quiet murmuring and giggling even as the human spoke.</p><p class="p1">“So, Jisung, Felix.” Minho began. “Care to explain what happened last night?”</p><p class="p1">“Ooooh..” Jeongin and Hyunjin hummed at the same time before giggling quietly.</p><p class="p1">Chan peaked up toward Jisung who had a strip of bacon half-way to his mouth, his cheeks slowly turning red as his ears laid back. “J-just a little late night snack. You know how Felix gets at night…”</p><p class="p1">“How I get at night?” Felix sounded genuinely confused. “‘Sungie, you wanted to see if you could sniff around Chan’s room and see if we could catch a glimpse of him.”</p><p class="p1"><em>“Oh my god.”</em> Seungmin muttered under his breath before ducking his head and going back to his food.</p><p class="p1">“Felix!!” Jisung hissed, his eyes flickering over to Minho who remained stone-faced. “Aha, I promise it wasn’t anything like that—“</p><p class="p1">“We were supposed to stay in the den.” Hyujin supplied easily.</p><p class="p1">“And not bother Chan on his first night.” Jeongin added.</p><p class="p1">“All the cookies were gone.” Seungmin suddenly looked up, affronted. “I can’t believe you gluttons ate <em>all</em> of the cookies we made. Cookies for <em>all eight</em> of us.”</p><p class="p1">Jisung’s cheeks puffed out and his brow furrowed. “That was mostly Chan!”</p><p class="p1">The red-haired cat knew he’d said the wrong thing as soon as the sentence left his mouth, but it was too late. Chopsticks slipped from Chan’s fingers with a harsh clink against the plate as the black-haired cat suddenly stood from his seat, his chair making a terrible sound as he slid across the floor. His face was flushed with embarrassment, and he seemed a second away from bolting when he looked toward Minho, eyes slightly watery with emotion.</p><p class="p1">“I-it’s my fault.” His voice shook only slightly. “I shouldn’t have opened the door. I shouldn’t have gone with them. I.. p-please don’t be mad at them. They were just trying to—.”</p><p class="p1">Chan choked on his next words, his tail whipping behind him as he tried to calm his racing heart. He glanced around at the other hybrids who were staring at him in various states of shock and pity. Jisung had stood up, one hand slowly reaching for him.</p><p class="p1">“Chan—“</p><p class="p1">He shrunk back, feeling lost and ashamed. He had known this was a bad idea from the start, but now he just looked foolish for his outburst. He shouldn’t have come out here, he should have stayed in his room last night.</p><p class="p1">“Chan.” This time it was Minho, the human stood from his seat, his brow furrowed as he tried to understand the sudden outburst. “Chan, it’s okay, I’m not—“</p><p class="p1">“Sorry, excuse me.” Chan cut him off quickly, dipping his head before turning and fleeing the kitchen.</p><p class="p1">“Shit.” Minho muttered, running a hand through his hair. He glared pointedly at Jisung, but as soon as he saw how crestfallen the hybrid looked his faze softened. He knew that the cat would never try to hurt anyone on purpose. “Stay downstairs for the time being, Changbin your in charge of clean-up.”</p><p class="p1">“M-minho..”</p><p class="p1">The human looked toward Jisung who still looked upset. “I’m <em>really</em> sorry.”</p><p class="p1">With a sigh, Minho rounded the table to pull the hybrid into a quick hug. Immediately, the red-haired cat nuzzled into his chest, hands going around him tightly. With a sigh, Minho rubbed his back before scratching gently behind his ears.</p><p class="p1">“Apologize to Chan when you get a chance to, ‘sung.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can only promise that eventually things will get better.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Hide [Minho]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>Chan had no problem giving affection to those who needed it. It was accepting someone else’s affection for him that gave him pause.</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A quick update. Winter break is coming up and I'm actually hoping to spend some time getting a lot of writing done for this story. Still, I'm couldn't wait any longer to post this next chapter, so forgive me if there are more editing mistakes than usual.</p><p>Just a quick waring, Chan does have an anxiety attack during this chapter and Minho is pretty panicked about it as well. So just prepare for that and brace yourselves.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Minho</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Minho made sure he had his phone on him while he went to search for Chan, unsure of what he would find when he located the hybrid. He <em>hoped</em> that the cat just needed some time to cool off, understanding how overwhelming his other pets could be. This was the exact reason he’d been so worried about just throwing them all together in the first place. His cats were comfortable with each other - arguing and banter were apart of their everyday routine and they all knew each other well enough not to take it to heart.</p><p class="p1">Assuming Chan had gone to his room, he took the stairs two at a time, popping into the bathroom just to peak and see if the hybrid had gone inside. Confirming that it was empty, he headed down the hall to Chan’s room, almost relieved to see that the door was wide open. He would have been much more concerned if the hybrid had locked himself inside.</p><p class="p1">Even before he entered the room he could hear the muffled sounds of crying and his heart clenched in his chest. Instinct told him to run to wherever Chan was to comfort him, but he kew that wouldn’t be the best idea. Chan had shown to be wary of any sort of affection, emotional or physical and honestly Minho couldn’t blame him. Hybrids raised by humans were endlessly devoted to their owners, the idea of being abandoned was practically a foreign concept. The only way Chan’s mind could process his trauma was by rejecting offered affection even when his natural instincts craved it.</p><p class="p1">And from what Minho understood, Chan had no problem <em>giving</em> affection to those who needed it. It was <em>accepting</em> someone else’s affection for him that gave him pause.</p><p class="p1">“Chan?” Minho called quietly as he stepped into the room. “Chan, it’s just me.”</p><p class="p1">Minho was sure the hybrid already knew he was there, his superior senses would have picked up the human’s footsteps already. He was relieved to see that all of Chan’s belongings were still there. He’d had the vague worry that Chan might try to run away. They were fairly outside the city and the last thing he wanted was for Chan to be out in the wilderness when night fell and the temperature dropped.</p><p class="p1">The bedsheets were only slightly mussed, but considering the hybrid hadn’t slept there the night before that wasn’t so surprising. He followed the sound of the whimpering to the far closet and felt his heart break as he saw just the tip of Chan’s black tail peaking out from the closet door’s slight opening. The hybrid’s cries were muffled, almost like he was trying to keep from being heard.</p><p class="p1">Minho stopped just in front of the closet, feeling his own chest heavy with sadness and an underlying anger. Not at Chan of course, but the family who had done this to him. He’d dealt with upset Hybrids before, almost all of his cats had been adopted from unfortunate circumstances, but it was in their instinct to seek out reassurance and support. It was unnatural, disturbing even that Chan was trying to hide himself away when he was upset.</p><p class="p1">“Chan,” Minho called again, trying to keep his own voice from quivering. “I just want to check and see that you're alright.”</p><p class="p1">The quiet whimpering stopped almost immediately, and Minho watched as Chan’s tail quickly disappeared into the darkness of the closet. Biting his lip, Minho put a hand on the door knob. “I’m opening it now, Chan.” Was the warning he gave before slowly pulling the door open.</p><p class="p1">The sight that greeted him was heart-rending. Chan had pressed himself up against the back of the closet, curled into a ball with his knees tucked to his chest. He was staring up at Minho with bloodshot eyes, and even in the dim light streaming into the closet, Minho could see the sticky tear tracks on the hybrid’s face. The cat was breathing harshly, his mouth slightly open as though he weren’t getting enough air through his nose and his ears pressed flat against his skull. He looked terrified, but also unfocused, like he was seeing something just past Minho.</p><p class="p1">“Channie,” Minho’s voice was hushed as he crouched down to be level with the hybrid, trying catch his eye. “Chan, it’s okay. Everything is okay.”</p><p class="p1">The hybrid took in a sudden sharp breath and let out a low distressed yowl from the back of his throat. For a moment, Minho thought he might actually hiss, but it never happened, even as Minho inched slightly forward. He could see Chan trembling, wrapping his arms tighter around his legs and Minho almost wished that the hybrid would get angry at him. He had every right to be suspicious of humans, and yet he would rather cower and risk harm than defend himself.</p><p class="p1">Minho reached out for the hybrid, stopping when Chan let out a warning yowl. The sound surprised the both of them, with Chan immediately covering his mouth with his hands while his tail lashed agitatedly.</p><p class="p1">“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” The cat mumbled over and over again, shaking his head. “I’ll be good, I promise - just send me back, d-don’t leave me, don’t leave me. I’m sorry.”</p><p class="p1">“Chan, Chan!” Minho raised his voice, trying to snap the hybrid out of his panic to no avail. The hybrid just kept apologizing, his breathing becoming harsh and labored as choked sobs made its way through the string of unintelligible words. At the rate he was going, he was going to make himself sick. “Chan, fuck - shit…”</p><p class="p1">Minho had never felt so flustered and unprepared in his life. He fumbled to grab his cellphone from his pocket, fingers trembling as his gaze flickered between Chan and the phone. He finally found the Dr. Rae’s number and dialed it, silently praying for the woman to pick up. “It’s okay, it’s okay..” Minho muttered, though whether to himself or Chan, he wasn’t quite sure.</p><p class="p1">“<em>Hello, this is Dr. Rae, how may I help you?”</em></p><p class="p1">“Yes!” Minho yelled, flinching at the same time as the hybrid did from how loud his voice was. He quickly pressed the phone to his ear as he tried to hastily explain the situation without breaking down himself. He kept his eyes locked on Chan, terrified by the fact that the hybrid just seemed <em>gone</em>, like Minho wasn’t in front of him. “He needs help and I don’t know what to <em>do.</em>”</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Can you put me on speakerphone, Mr. Lee?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Minho stuttered out a yes and quickly changed it to speaker, holding it as close to Chan as he could without making the other shrink back even farther.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Bang Chan? It’s Dr. Rae. Can you hear me?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Minho bit his tongue from intervening to explain that Chan seemed locked in his own head. He didn’t know much about therapy or psychiatry, but he knew answering for Chan wasn’t going to get them anywhere. Instead, he just gripped his pants tightly to distract himself as he waited for the hybrid to notice.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“It’s okay if you can’t speak just yet, Chan. Can you nod at Mr. Lee so I know you can hear me?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Minho’s heart pounded in his chest, and for a few moments it seemed like Chan had truly not heard what had been asked of him. But then slowly, the tilted his face up to look at Minho, giving the slightest of nods in his direction.</p><p class="p1">“H-he’s nodding.” Minho confirmed, swallowing thickly. “He’s - yes.”</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Good job, Chan. Can you tell me where you are right now?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Minho furrowed his brow at the question, wondering what the Doctor was getting at. But he watched as Chan’s face twisted in confusion, his tail flicking back and forth.</p><p class="p1">Suddenly, he spoke, voice rough and thick from crying. “H-home.” Chan whispered.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Well, that’s unexpected but good—</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Whose home, Chan?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Minho felt a shiver run dow his spine as Chan looked up at him, and then his eyes went wide. It felt like the hybrid was looking straight through him.</p><p class="p1">“M-my - they left—“ Chan’s face crumpled and his chest heaved.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Chan, I need you to look at Mr. Lee. Was Mr. Lee there when you were at home?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">“N-no. I was a-alone.”</p><p class="p1">“<em>So if Mr. Lee wasn’t there. Whose house are you in, Chan?</em>”</p><p class="p1">“Mr. Lee…” Chan mumbled wetly, tears running down his cheeks, but his breathing becoming less labored.</p><p class="p1">“<em>Very good, Chan. Now we’re just going to do some breathing exercises to calm down, okay?”</em></p><p class="p1">- - - -</p><p class="p1">Minho ran a hand through his hair as he sat on the side of the bed. Chan was tucked under the covers, curled away from Minho, passed out after crying himself into exhaustion. Working together, he and Dr. Rae had managed to convince Chan to leave the closet and let Minho check and make sure he hadn’t injured himself getting into the cramped space. Luckily, other than some redness where he’d clutched his legs too tightly, he was unharmed. Though he’d been so tired that Minho had to carry him the few steps to the bed and tuck him in, the hybrid too tired to put up any sort of fight.</p><p class="p1">The human couldn’t lie, it was probably the scariest thing he’d ever gone through and he’d raised a Wild kitten all on his own. But the thing was, he could always get a reaction out of Seungmin. <em>None </em>of his cats had never just… shut down, like Chan had.Dr. Rae had been kind enough to give him some tips on what he could do if the situation arose again and he felt more prepared in that way. At any rate, Chan would have therapy with her the next weekend, so maybe he’d get more insight then.</p><p class="p1">Biting his lip, he looked over at Chan. His face was still tear-stained and red, but he looked surprisingly at peace with his face lax, mouth slightly parted. There was a reason laws for hybrids were so strict. Their emotional connection to humans was not some toy to be played around with. Hybrids only had 50 odd years to live, and nearly half of Chan’s life was already shrouded in heartbreak.</p><p class="p1">“Chan,” Minho whispered, slowly moving closer to the hybrid. He tentatively reached out to run his fingers through his dark hair, letting his fingers skim over the soft fur of his ears. “I promise we’ll get through this. I won’t leave you behind. None of us will.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This time I promise, I swear that the next chapter has a reprieve from the sadness. It's already half way done and its a nice little break.</p><p>Kudos and comments are appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. First Memory [Chan]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>The gray cat tilted his head, studying Chan before speaking. “You're part of our family now.”</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Fun fact: I edited this while I was falling asleep and was too tired to post. So if there are bad typos... ;;</p>
<p>Now I promised that this was a nicer chapter and it is!! Very much a calm before the storm chapter. But I think you'll enjoy it as a nice holiday treat! </p>
<p>Also! Hope you all got to read 'let your heart be light'. They'll get there eventually!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Chan</em>
</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<p class="p1">Chan sighed, one ear flicking as it was tickled by the blades of grass beneath him. His eyes were closed, face tilted up to the sky as the warm sun beat down on him. It was an unnaturally warm day for autumn, nearing winter, and Changbin had taken him outside to enjoy some lounging under the cloudless blue skies. He also suspected the other cat new that Chan was still overwhelmed as he got used to the presence of the other cats activities and offered him this respite away from it all.</p>
<p class="p1">The past few days had been… challenging to say the least. After his breakdown, he’d hidden in his room for hours, refusing to come out even to get the food that was left at his door. Eventually though, Minho had insisted that he at least eat something small and drink water. He and the human had proceeded to have an awkward talk about Chan taking his medicine regularly and confirming that his appointment with Dr. Rae was definitely happening.</p>
<p class="p1">After Minho had left, it was’t long before Jisung was bursting through his door. Flinging himself into Chan’s arms and apologizing with tears in his eyes. That was what broke Chan’s self-imposed solitude. Even with the swirling emotions inside him, he couldn’t deny how much being around the others - especially Jisung and Felix, made him feel less lonely.</p>
<p class="p1">Jisung was the only who eventually introduced him to everyone, with Felix tagging along as cheerful support. They all seemed kind enough in their own ways, and the fact that they were all young certainly made him less nervous. It was interesting to see their different personalities even in just how they interacted with him. Jeongin and Seungmin seemed rather aloof, reminding Chan very much of their similarly stone-faced owner. Hyunjin was welcoming, though somewhat intimidating with his perfectly groomed appearance and expensive looking silver collar. Changbin was probably the least intimidating, laid-back enough so that Chan felt at ease but with the confidence of the oldest of Minho’s original group.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan found himself drawn to Changbin when Jisung and Felix were a little too energetic. They still had boundless kitten energy and tended to play around a lot, even as the night was winding down. Changbin would often reach out in those moments when Chan felt himself starting to get lost or overwhelmed and pull him aside or even escort him back to his room so he could calm down.</p>
<p class="p1">That was the reason why when Changbin asked if he wanted to spend some time outside with him, Chan didn’t hesitate to say yes.</p>
<p class="p1">He allowed a small smile to grace his lips, taking in a deep breath. The air was nice here, fresh and sweet. And it was so peaceful, and calm -</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>“There you are!”</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">Chan didn’t exactly flinch when he heard the voice calling out. Almost immediately he recognized the voice as belonging to Jisung. He opened his eyes just in time to see Jisung, followed by a wildly grinning Felix charge off of the patio and into the grass, tackling Changbin before the dark-haired hybrid could scramble away.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan watched, caught somewhere between horror and amusement as Jisung and Felix wrestled the older cat in the grass. Despite their numbers advantage, Changbin easily matched their power as they fought to gain the upper-hand. Chan felt a pang of longing, though he’d never quite roughhoused with any of the Shelter kittens, they would sometimes leap on him playfully from time to time.</p>
<p class="p1">The longing turned to warmth though as he watched the three of them, Felix and Jisung giggling as Changbin let out dramatic yowls of protest. Eventually the older cat collapsed back into the grass, letting Jisung and Felix pin him to the ground. Chan sat up slowly, watching with a wistful smile as Jisung and Felix began grooming Changbin with their tongues, the older cat going limp and allowing it.</p>
<p class="p1">Suddenly, he heard a shutter go off and that did make him jump. His ears folded back as he turned to look toward the sliding doors that led into the house. Chan sighed, relieved, as he saw Seungmin standing in the doorway, wrapped up in a thick sweater that the weather didn’t quite call for. The gray-eared cat was holding a camera in his hands, watching them with a serious expression on his face before raising the camera again and clicking away.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan suddenly remembered the photos on the refrigerator and wondered if they were all Seungmin’s doing. To be honest, he wouldn’t have expected it from the aloof hybrid, but it was incredibly endearing.He didn’t realize he’d been caught staring until Seungmin suddenly turned to aim camera in his direction and a bright flash of light went off. Chan was sure he looked like a deer in the headlights, eyes wide in shock, hair mussed from when he had been laying in the grass. Not exactly photo worthy.</p>
<p class="p1">“Seungminnie! Why are you all the way over there?” Jisung called. He and Felix had stopped grooming Changbin and he was now simply perched on the older cat’s stomach, while Felix laid nearby playing with the older hybrid’s hair. “Come hang out with us, <em>baby</em>.”</p>
<p class="p1">Seungmin lowered the camera and looked at them all, including Chan skeptically. “It’s too cold out.”</p>
<p class="p1">“It’s not bad at all.” Felix added, looking over and smiling sweetly. “I want mini-Minnie cuddles!”</p>
<p class="p1">Seungmin rolled his eyes, but to Chan’s surprised he stepped out onto the backyard patio and walked across the concrete into the grass. Despite Jisung’s beckoning arms, the gray-haired cat sat himself squarely in the area between Chan and the other three, the space all of a sudden feeling more intimate. Jisung began to whine before he was abruptly cut off by Changbin pinching him in the side.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan blinked, surprised at Seungmin’s boldness, but unsure of what to say. He glanced at the camera in Seungmin’s hands. Ja-yeon owned a similar type camera, she usually used it when kittens were adopted by families.Chan had never touched one himself though.</p>
<p class="p1">“Did you take the photos in the kitchen on the refrigerator?” Chan asked, looking at Seungmin’s face now.</p>
<p class="p1">The hybrid nodded, and up close Chan could really see how young he looked. His face was still round, and he had big, sweet eyes and fluffy, soft gray hair. His lithe figure was absolutely swimming in the blue knitted sweater he was wearing that Chan could tell smelled faintly of Hyunjin.</p>
<p class="p1">“Do you want to see your picture?” Seungmin asked quietly as he powered the camera on.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan nodded eagerly, his heart fluttering a little in his chest. He was sure he’d had pictures of himself taken before when he was young. But he tried to repress so much of his memory from before, that it was hard to distinguish between the reality and his assumption of the things he had experienced.</p>
<p class="p1">He leaned over to look at the small screen, keenly aware of the warmth radiating off of the younger hybrid’s body. Instinct told him to lean in closer, press their shoulders together, but he curled his fingers into the grass to resist the temptation. Instead, he focused on the image on the screen, awed and a little disbelieving. There was the picture he was expecting to see, with him staring right at Seungmin in alarm. But Seungmin shuffled the photos a bit and then appeared another one of just Chan, leaned back and relaxed, his face in profile. There was a small smile on his lips, and his eyes were half-lidded and warm. He realized Seungmin must have taken the picture while he had been watching Jisung, Felix and Changbin.</p>
<p class="p1">“That’s amazing.” Chan breathed out, somewhat in denial that he had been captured so well. He looked… soft, and almost happy. Opposite of the turmoil and worry that he felt about 75% of the time. “Thank you, Seungmin.”</p>
<p class="p1">The gray cat tilted his head, studying Chan before speaking. “You're part of our family now.”</p>
<p class="p1">Chan took in a sharp breath, his eyes widening just a fraction. Luckily, he was saved from trying to think of a response by Felix draping himself over Seungmin’s back, hooking his chin over the hybrid’s shoulder to look at the camera screen.</p>
<p class="p1">“Wow, thats so good, Minnie.” Felix gushed, wiggling happily. “You <em>have</em> to show Hyunjinnie. Chan’s a natural.”</p>
<p class="p1">Chan’s brow furrowed, wanting to ask what exactly that meant, but Jisung slinked up next to Felix to look as well, Seungmin looked increasingly annoyed at how they were invading his space. Despite that, the gray cat didn’t tell them off, but obliged in continuing to show off the pictures.</p>
<p class="p1">“Oh my god, look at Changbin’s face in this one.” Jisung chortled. He let out a yelp when Changbin walked behind him and cuffed him around the ears. “Rude!”</p>
<p class="p1">“Brat.” Changbin said back, though he sounded unbearably fond. The black-haired hybrid dropped himself next to Chan, sloppily enough that their shoulders knocked together. The contact sent shivers upChan’s arm and this time he couldn’t resist leaning into the touch. If Changbin thought it was odd, he didn’t say anything or move.</p>
<p class="p1">They watched Jisung and Felix gush over Seungmin’s pictures, basking in each-other’s silent company. Chan couldn’t help but feel warm seeing the interaction in front of him. The three obviously adored one another, and even Seungmin couldn’t keep up the annoyed facade as he smiled at the other two cats’ compliments.</p>
<p class="p1">After a few minutes, he felt a gentle tap on the back of his hand and he looked up to see Changbin watching him. The other was smiling, one side of his mouth quirked upwards. He raised an eyebrow, communicating silently. <em>Are you okay?</em></p>
<p class="p1">Chan blushed, grateful that Changbin was still looking out for his comfort. He looked back toward the trio, unable to stop the smile from naturally forming on his lips and nodded.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hopefully that was nice reprieve from how angsty this has been so far. No promises about the next few chapters though!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Treats [Minho]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>“It’s literally the best snack ever. Minho’s just so stingy with them.”</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello!! I feel so bad for not responding to comments for last chapter like I wanted to. But I've been spending any time I could the last few days writing the next two chapters. They were a bit tough content wise, but I got through them!!</p>
<p>This chapter is a bit shorter than normal. But the next one should be up sooner rather than later!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your support!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2">
  <em>Minho</em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2">It was late, and Minho had spent a fairly productive day working, only being distracted by Hyunjin and Jeongin demanding cuddles and entertainment a mere four times while he was in the middle of calls with his editor. Honestly, Minho didn’t mind the interruptions, as he usually found the calls unhelpful, mostly whining about plot elements that his editor knew he wasn’t going to change no matter what anyone said. The constant calls and follow-up emails also meant he had less time to check in on his cats throughout the day, which sort of rubbed him the wrong way.</p>
<p class="p2">He was still actively monitoring how Chan was fitting in with everyone, pleased to find that the cat hadn’t completely shuttered himself away even after his unfortunate anxiety attack. The other six hybrids had truly taken it upon themselves to welcome him into the fold, and Chan seemed comfortable enough with them to allow them into his space in return.</p>
<p class="p2">Minho smiled softly, though a little sad, as he headed up the stairs to the third floor that served as the hybrids’ den. Things were going alright, though the nagging thoughts in the back of his mind insisted that he wasn’t doing enough to make the hybrid feel truly at ease. Chan still.. avoided him. As much as he seemed to have warmed up to the hybrids, he still seemed wholly uncomfortable in Minho’s presence. Clamming up whenever Minho entered a room, avoiding the human’s gaze and genuinely making himself scarce.</p>
<p class="p2">Minho didn’t blame Chan, of course. But it was frustrating because he honestly wasn’t sure what else he could be doing to earn the hybrid’s trust. What was more concerning was the fact that he had to take Chan to his therapy session the next day and it was just going to be the two of them.</p>
<p class="p2"><em>I’m not above a bit of bribery.</em> Minho glanced down at the big bag of shrimp crackers he had in one hand. They were a favorite among his little clan, but they also tended to inspire terrible spats because of how prized they were. It was his most effective treat when he needed them on their best behavior though, and he was hoping the same would prove true of Chan.</p>
<p class="p2">Upon entering the third floor loft space he raised an eyebrow. As always, it was a little more chaotic than he would appreciate. Books, clothes and toys were scattered on the carpeted area. While the futons each cat slept on were strewn about from wherever they’d chosen to sleep the night before. The main lights were off, with the only lights being from the moon shining through the floor to ceiling windows and the twinkling fairy-lights surrounding the ceiling perimeter.</p>
<p class="p2">Chaotic yes, but comfortable in its own way.</p>
<p class="p2">Felix’s computer set-up was over in its own little area, while Seungmin’s bookshelf and beanbag were tucked away in the corner. Hyujin’s personal vanity, stacked with magazines, Jeongin’s frankly irresponsibly large Lego collection and Changbin’s keyboard and filing cabinet of music. Bits of Jisung’s massive DVD collection could be seen strewn throughout the large space, probably tucked into each and every other cats’ spaces as well.</p>
<p class="p2">It made Minho’s heart swell to know that he had given them all this, that they could all have room to be themselves and explore what made them happy. But it also warmed his heart when he remembered that he had once suggested that maybe they build some sort of extension onto the house so they could have some privacy from one another and they had all vehemently refused. They adored sharing their things with one another just as much as they enjoyed the activities themselves.</p>
<p class="p2">Minho was so lost in his own sappy thoughts that he was nearly caught off balance when Hyunjin bounced over to him and draped himself over Minho, fluffy cream colored tail curling around the hand holding the shrimp crackers.</p>
<p class="p2">“<em>Minhooo</em>, you brought me <em>snacks.”</em> It was telling that Hyunjin was quiet for once, instead of loudly announcing everything.</p>
<p class="p2">“I brought everyone snacks.” Minho raised an eyebrow, but still reached up to pat Hyujin’s cheek gently.</p>
<p class="p2">He could see Jeongin and Changbin curled up by the window, probably listening to music as the night wound down. Seungmin was stuffed into his beanbag chair, and though he’d probably noticed Minho, he wasn’t going to acknowledge it. His eyes scanned the rest of the room until they landed on the ratty old couch that the hybrids refused to let him replace.</p>
<p class="p2">Felix was sitting on one end of the couch and Jisung on the other. In the space between, Chan was curled up, his head pillowed on Felix’s lap as the white-eared cat gently stroked his hair. Chan’s feet were on Jisung’s lap, the younger cat gently kneading the muscles of his calves as Chan’s tail rested gently against his shoulder. Jisung and Felix were already in their pajamas, but Chan was still insisting on wearing worn and weathered clothes from the shelter. The drab dark colors and thin material were even more unsightly when compared to the relative niceness of the others’ satin sets.</p>
<p class="p2">Minho sighed, it was just one more thing to worry about. But in the meantime, it wasn’t really his priority. He held up the bag of shrimp crackers and shook them vigorously, knowing the sound of snacks would draw attention quicker than shouting.</p>
<p class="p2">Unsurprisingly, all of the cats perked up, turning wide eyes to look at him and then immediately locking on the bag in his hand. Jeongin and Chagbin scrambled away from each other to hurry over, while Seungmin let his book fall unceremoniously to the floor. Jisung slipped from under Chan’s legs in record time to nearly run over to Minho. The only two who took their time were Felix and Chan, as the younger hybrid seemed to explain to Chan what was going on.</p>
<p class="p2">“Calm down, calm down.” Minho raised his voice over the sounds of all the hybrids talking excitedly at once. He opened the bag and cleared his throat, causing them all to ease back a little. “Now you know the rules, youngest to oldest. Jeongin?”</p>
<p class="p2">He held the bag out for he youngest to take his handful of crackers. Then followed onto Seungmin and the others. Felix eventually bounced over, followed by a more cautious Chan who stood back away from their little huddle, sniffing the air curiously.</p>
<p class="p2">“Chan?” Minho said softly, shaking the bag enticingly. There was just enough left Chan to have some and Minho to take the crumbs. “Would you like some? They’re very good.”</p>
<p class="p2">The hybrid ducked his head a little uncertainly, tail moving back and forth behind him. “I don’t need—“</p>
<p class="p2">“Try one.” Changbin immediately offered one of his own shrimp crackers.</p>
<p class="p2">Chan looked startled, but not nearly as uncertain as he had been at the idea of taking anything from Minho. He reached out and took the shrimp cracker, taking a delicate bite. As soon as the taste hit his tongue, Chan’s eyes brightened and he finished off the little morsel. “<em>Wow.”</em></p>
<p class="p2">“Isn’t it good?” Jisung exclaimed around a mouthful of crackers. “It’s literally the best snack ever. Minho’s just so <em>stingy</em> with them.”</p>
<p class="p2">“Last time he left them out you stole them and hid them behind my bookshelf and we got ants.” Seungmin pointed out with a glare.</p>
<p class="p2">“If Minho bought enough, I wouldn’t have to hide them.”</p>
<p class="p2">That caused a collective groan and Minho sighed. “Here, Chan.” He passed the bag over to the cat who was much less reluctant about taking it. “Right, I needed to talk with you all about tomorrow.”</p>
<p class="p2">That caused a few surprised noises, even around the enthusiastic crunching noises. He smiled a little and raised a hand in a calming gesture. “I will be taking Chan into the city for an appointment tomorrow. We’ll probably be gone for a couple of hours, since its a long drive. That means Changbin and Hyunjin are in charge.”</p>
<p class="p2">“What time are you leaving?” Changbin asked.</p>
<p class="p2">“Early, you’ll probably all be asleep.” Minho explained. “But hopefully that means we’ll be back before it gets dark.”</p>
<p class="p2">Minho glanced at Chan, the hybrid was looking down, still nibbling on a shrimp cracker, but his ears were back and the line of his shoulders was tense.</p>
<p class="p2">“Of course if anything happens my number and the emergency numbers are near the house phone—“</p>
<p class="p2">“The fire extinguisher is under the kitchen sink and theirs first aide kits in each bathroom. <em>We know.</em>” Hyunjin sounded exasperated. “We can take care of ourselves.”</p>
<p class="p2">“<em>Speak for yourself.”</em> Jisung muttered while Felix and Jeongin giggled along with him.</p>
<p class="p2">“Well, as long as we’re clear.” Minho wasn’t truly worried. After all, he’d made trips into the city and left them alone for a few hours before. But he preferred to be as clear and transparent with them as possible. “Chan?”</p>
<p class="p2">The hybrid’s head snapped up and he looked at Minho warily. The human sighed, wishing Chan was closer so that he could stroke his hair and calm him down. “You should head to bed soon since we’ll be up early.”</p>
<p class="p2">Chan nodded jerkily and unprompted, handed the rest of the bag of shrimp crackers to Felix. The blonde-haired hybrid seemed surprised, trying to hand them back to no avail. Something in the atmosphere changed, getting quiet and tense as realization dawned that Chan would be leaving with Minho this time. Changbin sucked in a sharp breath and Jisung let out a slight whine before approaching Minho and tugging on his sleeve.</p>
<p class="p2">“Y-you aren’t… giving Chan back, are you?”</p>
<p class="p2">Deadly silence seemed to fall over the room as six pairs of eyes stared at him, Chan was the only one avoiding his gaze. Minho frowned, brows knitting together as he looked at their worried faces. How could they even think thats what he was planning to do? He’d never even considered giving any of them up, why would he do it <em>now?</em></p>
<p class="p2">“Of course not, that’s ridiculous.” Minho tried not to sound too incredulous. “Chan just has an appointment with a doctor.”</p>
<p class="p2">He didn’t exactly feel like putting all of Chan’s business out there when he wasn’t sure how much the hybrid was comfortable with. Not to mention that none of them probably knew much of anything about therapy and it would just end up leading to more questions that would make Chan feel uncomfortable. If Chan wanted them to know, then he’d let them know in his own time.</p>
<p class="p2">His assurance seemed to work and they all relaxed for the most part, even Chan glanced up at him, though his expression was unreadable. Of course after the little moment of concern, no one was eager to let him go and he was quickly pulled into a cuddle pile on the couch. Jeongin managing to wiggle his way onto Minho’s lap, as the others pawed at him for pets and scratches.</p>
<p class="p2">With his focus on distributing equal attention to the vying hybrids, Minho almost missed Chan slinking out of the room without making a sound.</p>
<p class="p2">Later that night when Minho had finally escaped the den and gotten showered and in bed he couldn’t help but lay awake. He stared up at the ceiling in the darkness of his room, the quiet puffs of Jeongin’s gentle breathing the only sound in the room. The young hybrid often felt the need to slip into bed with Minho when the human had to leave for long periods of time. Minho was grateful for it this time, the hybrid’s presence was soothing to his worried mind.</p>
<p class="p2">There was something he was missing. Something he <em>should </em>be doing to help Chan, but that he wasn’t quite reaching. And he was afraid if he didn’t figure it out soon, he might just miss his chance.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aahn, next two chapters. I don't want to spoil, but their interesting. I liked writing them, even if it was difficult. I can't wait to show you them.</p>
<p>Commets and kudos are so appreciated!</p>
<p>Edit: Oh! I forgot to say!! I set up a curiouscat just in case people have questions about this or my other fic since I wanted a place where people you ask questions more quickly if need me.</p>
<p><a href="https://curiouscat.me/chnnie_days">chnnie_days</a> on curiouscat</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Bare [Minho] Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! I actually meant to post this last night/early this morning but ao3 was down. I needed to get to sleep early anyway though.</p>
<p>I'm gonna put a cw for this chapter and explain it as best as I can. So please read before diving in!!</p>
<p>CW // Lack of doctor/patient confidentiality, elements of dehumanization </p>
<p>Theres nothing graphic or gross or super weird in this chapter. But because we're dealing with therapy, I did want to just give people a heads up. I don't think anything in this chapter is particularly out of the norm for this story, it just hasn't been the focus.</p>
<p>So! If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask them in comments or on my curiouscat which I will link at the end. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Minho</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">Minho loathed to wake Chan up so early, especially when the hybrid was finally sleeping through the night. But it was better for them to get on the road while traffic was still light. He went in around 5:30 am and gently shook the cat awake, waiting until his bright brown eyes had blinked open and acknowledged Minho before leaving him to get dressed.</p>
<p class="p1">While Chan got ready, Minho packed them an easy to-go breakfast. Two apples, some yogurt for Chan and a protein bar for himself. He brewed some coffee as well, still trying to fully wake up himself. One of the benefits of being able to create his own schedule. He usually never woke up before 8 am if he didn’t have to.</p>
<p class="p1">Travel mug and cloth bag in hand, Minho made his way to the foyer, putting everything down on the small table next to the door and going to the coat closet nearby. He hummed softly to himself as he turned on the closet light, picking out a black trench coat to go over his casual attire. Then he began searching through the coats for one that might fit Chan. It was the one aspect of the hybrid’s wardrobe that had slipped his mind, but luckily they had plenty to spare in the house. He finally plucked a gray peacoat from the rack that theoretically belonged to Changbin, but the cat preferred leather jackets or puffers to the wool coat.</p>
<p class="p1">Folding it over his arm, he looked toward the steps just in time to see Chan descending. Minho let out a small huff of satisfaction seeing the outfit that Chan had chosen. He was still wearing one of the oversized black sweatshirts from the Shelter, but he’d slipped into a pair of light gray joggers from the closet and a pair of black sneakers. It was a step forward at least, and secretly Minho was glad that it wouldn’t look like he was neglecting Chan to outsiders.</p>
<p class="p1">“Brush your teeth? Wash your face?” Minho asked quietly, unable to hold back a smile as Chan yawned, flashing his fangs in lieu of answering right away.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan’s ears twitched a little as he blinked at Minho, his sleepy brain still processing what was happening. Finally he nodded his answer.</p>
<p class="p1">“Good boy.” Minho praised. He then beckoned hm closer to the closet and opened the door wider so that he could see the assortment of leashes and harnesses hanging on the door. It was a variable mess of different styles, as all of the others had preferences that made them feel comfortable. Eventually he’d figure out what Chan liked the best and get him his own custom set for times when they needed to go out in public. “Would you prefer it clipped to your collar or would you rather harness?”</p>
<p class="p1">He knew that hybrids could be sensitive to how they were controlled when on lead. Hyunjin preferred the collar and lead because it drew more attention to his face and fancy jewelry. While Jisung preferred a fitted vest like harness because it made him feel more secure out in crowds. Minho could honestly say he couldn’t guess what would make Chan comfortable.</p>
<p class="p1">Judging from the silence and wide-eyed look, Chan didn’t know either. He stared at the rows of different leads, swallowing thickly as time ticked on. The hybrid finally glanced at Minho and shrugged a shoulder, eyes shuttered and unreadable.</p>
<p class="p1">“It doesn’t matter.” He offered quietly, before averting his eyes from the closet.</p>
<p class="p1">Minho sighed, pressing his lips together to keep himself from insisting Chan choose. He supposed that with being in the Shelter for so long, Chan wouldn’t have had to be kept on leash for the past few years. It was a bit of an intimate experience, Minho could understand that, so he would have preferred Chan have a say.</p>
<p class="p1">It was too early though to insist, and the last thing he wanted to do was upset Chan when the hybrid was probably already nervous. He picked up a plain black braided leash that would match Chan’s collar and tucked it into the pocket of his trench coat. They wouldn’t need it until they got into the city anyway. Then he helped Chan into the gray peacoat, happy to see that it fit him well. With everything set and ready to go, Minho picked up their things and led Chan out to the car.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">- - - -</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<p class="p1">Dr. Rae’s office was in a nondescript gray building filled with various different types of services. However the office itself was surprisingly nice and welcoming. The walls were a gentle blue, with landscape paintings on two of the opposite walls. Instead of the normal hard waiting room chairs, there were two couches and two arm chairs in the waiting room. On the floor was a big basket of stuffed animals and other simple toys and a pile of magazines on a coffee table in the middle.</p>
<p class="p1">Despite the nice atmosphere, Chan seemed terrifyingly on edge. His face was paler than normal, and he stuck just behind Minho’s shoulder, ears back as he looked at the ground. Minho made sure to walk slowly to receptionist desk, worried that Chan might just freeze up and he would accidentally yank on his collar.</p>
<p class="p1">“Good morning, are you here for an appointment?”</p>
<p class="p1">The receptionist behind the desk smiled at him and then shot a soft look toward Chan. There was a picture of a red-haired hybrid framed on her desk and a stickie notepad that was shaped like a cat’s head.</p>
<p class="p1">“Yes, for Chan. It should be under Lee Minho.” He supplied. “His file would have previously been with Bright Star Shelter.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Ah! Yes, that’s right.” The woman got up and went to a filing cabinet to retrieve a manila folder. She returned to her seat and opened the file to pull out some papers. “Right, so we just need some information from you. And then his file will be all up to date.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho nodded as she handed him the papers on a clipboard with a pen and then led Chan over to one of the couches. They sat in silence as Minho filled out the sheets, basic things like his home address and contact information. But then was the household information, for which he barely had room to add everyone. The hardest were his observations of what Chan was struggling with, because most of it seemed to center around him.</p>
<p class="p1">Eventually he finished and left Chan to sit while he turned in the forms. The receptionist thanked him, telling him that Dr. Rae would be out to greet them soon.</p>
<p class="p1">The wait was probably only about five minutes before a tall, middle-aged woman with short bobbed black hair and glasses entered the room. She was dressed in gray slacks and a cream sweater. Upon seeing Minho and Chan her expression brightened considerably and she approached with her hand out stretched. Minho rose to meet her half-way, forgetting about Chan’s leash in his haste.</p>
<p class="p1">“So since this is our first time all meeting together, why don’t we all go back to my office and talk together? Then we’ll go from there.” She explained.</p>
<p class="p1">Minho quickly picked up Chan’s leash so that they could follow her back to her office space. It was small and intimate with an armchair and a couch. There was an obvious attempt at a sort of home-y and comfortable atmosphere which put Minho more at ease. He waited for Chan to sit on the couch first before sitting next to him, careful to leave space between them so that he didn’t make the hybrid uncomfortable.</p>
<p class="p1">“So, I figured we should all get on the same page. Even though Chan and I know each other, this is a little different than how we usually meet, isn’t it?”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho glanced over at the cat who peered up at the woman. Chan stopped chewing on his lip momentarily to nod and let out a quiet. “Yeah.”</p>
<p class="p1">Dr. Rae nodded kindly and picked up the clipboard that Minho recognized as the papers he had filled out. “I only got a chance to glance at this when Nayun passed this to me. But it looks like you have quite the large family. Can you tell me about yourself and your family, Mr. Lee?”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho blinked, suddenly sitting up straighter, unprepared to be questioned like this. “You can call me Minho.” He offered as he tried to gather his thoughts. “What is it you want to know?”</p>
<p class="p1">Dr. Rae tilted her head, quirking a smile. “Basic things, Minho-ssi. I’m not here to judge you, I promise. I just need to gauge the kind of environment Chan is now living in. Change of environment is one of Chan’s triggers and the more I know, the more we can come up with strategies for how to help him manage any negative responses he may have.”</p>
<p class="p1">That made sense to Minho at any rate. He let her know about how he’d gone to University for literature and started writing for small magazines and anthology subscriptions. How he’d gotten his first book deal two years ago and it had become a surprise hit and that he worked from home as a full time author, meaning he had plenty of spare time for his cats. All the while he could feel Chan’s eyes glancing towards him curiously, as he realized he’d never so much as considered explaining these things to the hybrid at all.</p>
<p class="p1">“Plenty of time for your pets, then.” Dr. Rae nodded in understanding. “Are they all adopted, like Chan?”</p>
<p class="p1">“There were differing circumstances.” Minho admitted. “And only Changbin, Jisung and Felix came from shelters.”</p>
<p class="p1">Dr. Rae glanced down at the forms she was holding and nodded. “And were their circumstances similar to Chan’s?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Only Changbin, maybe..” Minho’s brow furrowed. “His previous owner died in a car accident. Luckily, Changbin hadn’t been with him at the time.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho shuddered to think of what would have happened if the hybrid had been there that day. From what little he’d gleamed, the accident had been very bad. It had been sudden enough that none of the man’s relatives could take Changbin in at the time, leaving the hybrid to deal with mourning on his own. Luckily Minho had been going in to make a donation only about two weeks after Changbin had been taken into a Shelter and the human knew he couldn’t leave him there.</p>
<p class="p1">“I see. It sounds like they are very lucky to have you, Minho-ssi.” She said kindly. “And I’m very impressed that you decided to take Chan in knowing his difficult history. It’s not usual that the general public could be interested with someone with Chan’s type of issues.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho shifted uncomfortably in his seat with how frankly she spoke. He hated the idea of Chan thinking he was a burden, just because of his anxiety. Sure it was difficult, but that didn’t mean that Chan deserved less of a chance at a home than any other hybrid.</p>
<p class="p1">“I don’t know how much Ja-yeon told you about when Chan was first found. After they managed to get his story, I was called in immediately for an evaluation. Plainly speaking, Chan <em>should</em> have gone to a facility that specialized in treating hybrids with severe mental health issues. Most often we see this sort of thing with Wild kittens who need to be rehabilitated before they can become pets. Cases like Chan’s are few and far between, but they fit under the general scope of those facilities.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho swallowed thickly and nodded, his mind trying to assess and process the information he had been giving. He glanced over at Chan who was looking down at the carpeted floor, his hands squeezed tightly in his lap. Minho itched to reach out and pull the hybrid closer, to pet and soothe his worry away. He knew it had to be difficult hearing all of his business laid out in the open like he wasn’t even there.</p>
<p class="p1">“However, we came to the conclusion that moving him again probably would have done more damage than good.” Dr. Rae continued. “Ja-yeon’s shelter is rather small in capacity and we thought a tighter-knit community might provide more stability. Of course, we didn’t know until about two years in that he would still be suffering from anxiety, making it difficult for him to find a home. I almost regretted not admitting to one of the treatment centers as it ended up severely limiting his options.”</p>
<p class="p1">“But,” She smiled now, looking fond. “I see that its worked out. I’m happy to see Chan getting a second chance. Of course we’ll still have things to work on, but I’m sure with your cooperation we can help Chan get better.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next part should be up soon since its a two-parter! Still editing~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <a href="https://curiouscat.me/chnnie_days">chnnie_days</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Bare [Minho] Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>But Chan wasn’t like Seungmin. He was angry or even suspicious of Minho. Honestly, he didn’t think that Chan could harm a mouse even if his predator instincts were screaming at him to.</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, uh, I really had been planning on updating this chapter the day after the other one. But things got kind of hectic on my end and I really didn't get time to come back here until just now. I felt really bad leaving you guys just hanging since this is a real two-parter of a chapter.</p><p>Same warnings as last chapter apply to this one as its just a continuation. Please enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Minho</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Minho sat out in the waiting room, a magazine limply in his hand as he stared blankly at the painting hanging on the wall opposite to where he was sitting. After the introduction, Dr. Rae had sent him out so that she could have her session with Chan alone. Then she’d call him back and they could discuss what further things could be done to help Chan adjust.</p><p class="p1">He was feeling almost.. drained from hearing what the doctor had to say so openly about Chan’s situation. Ja-yeon had described similar things, but it had been much more personal to her. It was odd to realize that by professional terms, Chan was considered so<em> broken</em> that he belonged in a special facility. Something about it made Minho’s chest burn with anger. Because Chan hadn’t <em>done</em> anything to deserve to sent away for his completely rational distrust of humans. As though he would be an inconvenience to anyone who wanted to adopt him unless he was ‘fixed’.</p><p class="p1">Minho gripped the magazine tightly, feeling the pages twist under his fingers. It was too similar to when he’d first taken in Seungmin. The kitten had been malnourished and weak, and Minho’s first priority had been to get him to a vet quickly. He remembered the old man had been kind, but also insistent that Minho take Seungmin to one of those hybrid facilities so that they could rehabilitate him.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“They aren’t quite like our gentle house hybrids.” He’d said, patting a shivering Seungmin on the head. The cat was so out of it and delirious that Minho had to let him lean against him even on the examining table. “They can be tamed, but they're a bit dangerous to just have out in public. You can even leave him here and we’ll have someone come pick him up.”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Minho had hastily declined the offer and after paying for the appointment, he’d left as quickly as possible, terrified that someone might still show up at his door demanding to take Seungmin away. And it wasn’t as if the vet had been completely wrong. As Seungmin got stronger, he became a little hellion. He shredded the clothes Minho tried to get him to wear, stayed up at all hours of the night, knocking things over and clawing at the front door to try and get out. For a few months, Minho resorted to keeping Seungmin on a leash attached to his waist at all times just to force the hybrid to get used to his presence. Little by little though, Seungmin came to tolerate him and then eventually even preferred being in the same room as Minho when he was let off leash. It still wasn’t until he’d taken in Hyunjin that Seungmin finally had a sort of role model for what a hybrid-human relationship was <em>supposed</em> to be like.</p><p class="p1">But Chan wasn’t like Seungmin. He wasn't angry or even suspicious of Minho. Honestly, he didn’t think that Chan could harm a mouse even if his predator instincts were screaming at him to. The hybrid just seemed.. well, resigned to his fate and wary that Minho might eventually tire of him. And he wasn’t sure how to prove that it would <em>never</em> happen.</p><p class="p1">Minho was still glaring down at the floor when he heard Dr. Rae calling his name. His head snapped up, eyes searching for Chan, only to see that the woman was standing alone at the door, beckoning him over. He stood hurriedly, putting the magazine he’d been holding in a death grip down on the table before hurrying to the door.</p><p class="p1">“We had a very good session.” Dr. Rae said, sounding quite pleased. “I think I have some idea of what the two of you need to work on.”</p><p class="p1">Minho nodded as they entered her office again, the tension leaving his body slightly when he saw Chan sitting on the couch, seemingly okay. He looked a little drained and his eyes a little faraway, but he looked up when Minho entered and while he didn’t smile, he didn’t look away either. Minho would take that as an improvement.</p><p class="p1">“So <em>this</em> is one example of something you need to work on.”</p><p class="p1">Minho and Chan both looked in the therapist’s direction, confusion in their eyes. She smiled warmly at them though as she took a seat and gestured for them to do the same. It took a moment before Chan sat, then Minho followed careful to allow him space.</p><p class="p1">“Minho-ssi, is there any particular reason <em>you</em> are keeping your distance from Chan?”</p><p class="p1">Minho stiffened, his shoulders tensing at the unexpected question. His brow furrowed and he glanced to his side at Chan. The hybrid seemed to sink a little into himself, refusing to look at either of the humans int he room.</p><p class="p1">“Well,” Minho cleared his throat. “I don’t want to make him uncomfortable.”</p><p class="p1">Dr. Rae nodded understandingly, but her demeanor became quite serious. “And that’s quite an admirable thing, Minho-ssi. But you have quite extensive experience with hybrids yourself. You understand that their nature of hybrid and human relationships are nearly symbiotic. Especially a hybrid like Chan who was bred and raised by humans.”</p><p class="p1">“I’m aware of that, yes.” Minho answered, feeling like he was still missing something important. “But Chan is used to humans. He doesn’t need to be ‘tamed’ like a Wild kitten.”</p><p class="p1">That caused the woman to raise an eyebrow. “That’s correct, actually. I’m guessing you have experience with Wild hybrids?”</p><p class="p1">“Just one. My first one.” Minho clarified. “I didn’t think that approach would work for Chan.”</p><p class="p1">“In normal circumstances I might agree with you. But Chan’s circumstances are beyond the spectrum of even most scientific studies.” Dr. Rae explained. “When we tame Wild kittens, we often have to introduce them slowly to human contact but keep that contact constant so that their natural inclination towards humans can override their adaptive flight or fight behaviors. Wild hybrids are often <em>scared</em> of humans, and while Chan isn’t scared of you he doesn’t trust you. But the only way he’ll begin to trust you if you make it clear that you care for him.”</p><p class="p1">Minho glanced over at Chan who looked very much like he would like to sink into the floor. But despite his clear embarrassment, the hybrid wasn’t denying any of what the therapist was saying. He didn’t look offended, or annoyed - he just looked resigned, his ears back against his skull and the end of his tail flicking.</p><p class="p1">“I thought that was what I had been doing.” Minho said carefully, trying to rack his brain for anything he might have done to make Chan feel unwelcome.</p><p class="p1">“Chan understands that humans will give him and food and shelter.” Dr. Rae stressed, leaning forward slightly. “But your <em>affection</em> is not something that Chan can bring himself to take. You need to be more proactive, Minho-ssi. Chan’s trauma will not allow him to seek you out even if his instincts desire that connection.”</p><p class="p1">Minho was trying to take everything she was saying to heart, but god if he didn’t wish they could have had this conversation in private. Obviously he had a right to know everything going on with Chan for the hybrid’s safety and well-being, but Minho knew it had to hurt him to hear himself be talked about as if he were some defective toy.</p><p class="p1">“<em>Right.</em>” Minho said, trying not to sound to testy, his hands curling and uncurling in his lap. “That’s something I can work on.”</p><p class="p1">Dr. Rae leveled him with a pointed look. “Mandatory time together, hand-feeding, tethering if necessary.” She looked over at the hybrid briefly before addressing Minho again. “Chan and I have talked about this. As well as things he personally needs to work on like finding a hobby and daily self-reflection.”</p><p class="p1">Minho’s eyes flickered over to Chan, almost wishing he’d speak up. But the cat was silent, and for the first time Minho truly wondered what Chan’s life was like for those five years he was at the Shelter. It was clear Ja-yeon truly cared for him, and despite how clinical Dr. Rae spoke, she wanted to help the hybrid as well. But how many times had someone there told him he was <em>unnatural</em> and broken that he didn’t even seem phased by how analytically his issues were being presented.</p><p class="p1">For a moment, a rebellious part of Minho wanted to say <em>fuck</em> society’s standards. <em>Fuck</em> what scientists and doctors said hybrids ‘should be’. Minho saw how Chan was opening up to his other cats, he saw how gently he treated them and how happy he was when they included him in their activities. So what if Chan didn’t jump in his lap at every moment?</p><p class="p1">But then.. Minho couldn’t deny that for as much as Chan seemed to enjoy being around the other cats. It was obvious that Chan had made very little movement to integrate himself personally into their lives. He was like a guest in their home, following along politely with whatever they asked of him but otherwise asking for nothing and expecting nothing. Because it didn’t matter if the other hybrid’s liked him, <em>they</em> weren’t his owner. It was Minho, and as long as Minho stayed as just a vague figure in Chan’s life, the hybrid would never truly think of their house as his Home.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">- - - -</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Their second group meeting only lasted about 30 minutes. Dr. Rae gave Minho some reading materials, as well as a summary of her observations from her private session with Chan that he would have to look at later. They found themselves sitting in the car after leaving, both of them dead silent as the engine ran and they tried to recenter themselves after the intense experience they’d just had.</p><p class="p1">Chan had been silent the entire time, utterly obedient as Minho led him out to the car. The tension never seemed to leave his body, even when Minho turned on the heated seats in hope that it might calm the hybrid down.</p><p class="p1"><em>Talk to me.</em> Minho wanted to say. <em>Was that bad? Is it normally like that? Are you okay?</em></p><p class="p1">But he felt his own voice caught in his throat, mind still reeling as he considered where he’d failed and what he needed to do in order for them to move forward. As bad as difficult as the appointment had been, the doctor hadn’t been <em>wrong.</em> He’d already done something similar with Seungmin, he had just naively hoped that Chan would eventually come around on his own. But it hadn’t been other hybrids that had betrayed him.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>It was us.</em>
</p><p class="p1">Minho gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, letting out a long shaky breath. He’d been too complacent about this whole thing. So self-confident to think that he could do the bare minimum and expect miraculous results. He looked over at Chan. The hybrid was staring out the front window, his eyes looked faraway and slightly sad.</p><p class="p1">Minho let go of the steering wheel and offered the hybrid his hand, palm up. “Chan.”</p><p class="p1">A moment of hesitation and then Chan turned his head only slightly to look at hm. His ears were swiveled back, eyes wary. The hybrid glanced down at the offered hand and ever so minutely shied away.</p><p class="p1">Sighing through his nose, Minho did his best to put on a gentle smile, though he was sure it came out slightly sad. Resolute, he reached out and took hold of one of Chan’s hands, ignoring the tiny flinch. Despite his obvious discomfort, Chan didn’t pull his hand away, in fact, he let Minho intertwine their fingers. Instinct won out over conditioned mistrust.</p><p class="p1"><em>Ah, I see.</em> Minho thought, a newfound determination rising in his chest. Now he knew what he needed to do.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>That's probably the roughest part for a while. Minho's gonna figure it out if its the last thing he does!!</p><p>Kudos and comments are adored!! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Treasure [Chan]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>And in taking a deep breath, Chan could scent something familiar and warm that settled deep in his chest.</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone. You doing okay? It's been a rough few weeks here at the beginning of the year, right? I'm still working through it myself.</p><p>I really wanted to finish this chapter because I hope it could bring people some happiness and escape during this difficult period. And I'm going to try and keep writing because I think it helps keep my mind off the upsetting stuff as well.</p><p>I do hope you enjoy and remember to still support our kids during Kingdom! They need us more than ever.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Chan</em>
</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Chan could feel the exhaustion practically seeping into his bones in a way that he’d never felt before. Sure sessions had always been tiring and he often had much to think about afterwards, but he never considered what having Minho there would do to him mentally and emotionally.</p><p class="p3">It’s not like Minho <em>hadn’t</em> known about Chan’s issues before, but there was something about hearing Dr. Rae go into such detail that made his stomach curdle. Because he <em>liked</em> Minho’s house and he liked the other hybrids, and no matter what he tried to tell himself, deep down there was a tiny bit of him that hoped he could stay. But now that Minho knew the full extent of his issues, would the human even want to keep putting up with him? Dr. Rae had effectively told Minho that he wasn’t doing enough. And Chan couldn’t help but be embarrassed and worried that Minho wouldn’t think he was worth the trouble.</p><p class="p3">Even once they were driving, Minho hadn’t really said anything to him. Just said his name and then held his hand. Chan couldn’t speak either, his throat seemingly closed up. The only thing he could do was be grateful for Minho’s kind touch. The human’s hand was warm in his own, and Chan’s instincts hummed happily at the quiet show of affection.</p><p class="p3">Dr. Rae had been right. He never sought out Minho, in fact, he did his best to stay out of the human’s way. He was doing so much for Chan already and the hybrid was afraid of being seen as a burden. With each day that passed he struggled with knowing it was best if he went back to the Shelter and wanting to live with Minho and the others for the rest of his life. His instincts told him to seek Minho out and show the human his affection and thankfulness, but the whispers in the back of his mind told him that that being nuisance would only get him left again.</p><p class="p3"><em>If only I knew why they left me…</em> Chan squeezed his eyes shut, willing his brain to snap out of that line of thinking. It was the one question he still couldn’t face. Dr. Rae never pushed him on it, but just thinking about it made his pulse speed up and dread fill his lungs. <em>Was I not good enough? What did I do? Why did they leave—</em></p><p class="p3">“Chan, Chan!”</p><p class="p3">The hybrid’s eyes shot open and he looked around, disoriented. He was panting when he felt Minho’s hand gently cup his cheek, turning his head so that he was looking into the human’s concerned eyes. His body was trembling and he let out a gentle whimper as Minho swiped a thumb gently over his cheek, trying to soothe him.</p><p class="p3">“Chan, are you alright?” Minho asked quietly, but then scoffed at himself. “Of course you aren’t, I’m sorry for asking.”</p><p class="p3">Chans let out a soft whimper, breathing still harsh. He looked down and realized he was squeezing the human’s hand tightly and immediately let go, a blush rising in his cheeks. It was only then he realized the car was no longer in motion and he glanced out the windows.</p><p class="p3">“W-where?” A chill ran down his spine and his brows knitted in confusion. “Where are we? I-I’m sorry, please don’t leave me here!”</p><p class="p3">“What?” Minho looked taken aback. “<em>What?</em> Chan, no - no, I would never.” The human used his now free hand to stroke Chan’s hair. “Your mine, Chan. I will <em>never</em> give you up, please believe that.”</p><p class="p3">Chan took in a huge gulp of air and nodded, leaning into Minho’s touch almost desperately.</p><p class="p3">“I should have told you while we were on our way. But I was sort of lost in thought.” Minho admitted. “I wanted to stop at a store and grab some things for you.”</p><p class="p3">“A store?” Chan mumbled, looking out the window and noticing the row of shops they had parked in front of. “I don’t need anything, though.”</p><p class="p3">“Well I want to buy you things.”</p><p class="p3">Chan turned to look at him again, his brow furrowed and ears folded back. He wanted to go back to the house, every moment they spent away was another moment that Chan could be spending with the others before…</p><p class="p3">“It will be okay, I promise.” Minho’s voice was gentle and Chan desperately wanted to believe him.</p><p class="p3">He watched the human got out of the car and rounded to his side, opening the door to let Chan out. The hybrid could tell how hyper-aware Minho was when taking hold of his leash, always holding it loose and glancing at Chan to make sure he was okay. Chan couldn’t really remember the last time he had been on a lead, probably when he was much younger, but most of those memories were hazy and hidden away.</p><p class="p3">He followed behind Minho, tucking himself as close to the human as possible without touching him. He felt oddly exposed, seeing other people out, hurrying along through the cold to do their shopping. Could other people see how broken and awkward he was? The idea made him wish he was invisible and he hunched his shoulders even more.</p><p class="p3">He didn’t really catch the name of the store that Minho lead him to, far too lost in his own head to really notice until he felt the rush of warmth and bright lights snapped him out of his thoughts. He peeked up, taking in the brightly lit store, soft pastels and cheerful colors were displayed from nearly wall-to-wall. And in taking a deep breath, Chan could scent something familiar and warm that settled deep in his chest.</p><p class="p3">“Mr. Lee!” A sparkling, bright voice called. “Welcome back!”</p><p class="p3">Chan peered over Minho’s shoulder as the human led him over to one of the checkout counters. A young woman with faded lavender hair and an impish grin waved at the both of them. She was wearing a pastel blue collared sweater with a fish-shaped name-tag attached to it. At first she seemed focus on Minho, but as soon as she noticed Chan she did a double-take and then her grin split into a wide smile.</p><p class="p3">“Oh my <em>gosh</em>, who is this?!” She cried happily, suddenly reaching under the counter and fumbling around until she pulled out a large plastic container. “You are so handsome! Mr. Lee, when did you get him?”</p><p class="p3">To Chan’s surprise, Minho put a gentle hand on his shoulder, encouraging him forward. “This is Chan. He just joined our family last week.”</p><p class="p3">Chan made a soft sound of surprise at Minho’s carefully chosen words. He had expected him to mention Chan being adopted, but hearing that he had <em>joined</em> a family.. Well, that made his stomach flutter in a good way. It didn’t help that there was some addictively familiar scent in the air that made him want to curl up on something soft and fall asleep.</p><p class="p3">“<em>Chan</em>, what a cute name.” The woman giggled. She reached into the container and pulled out a strip of jerky, holding it out in offering. “Would you like a treat, darling?”</p><p class="p3">Chan glanced at Minho unsure, even though the scent of the jerky was quite tempting. And he hadn’t eaten anything since the beginning of the car ride that morning. As Minho nodded his encouragement, Chan stepped forward and carefully took the offered treat, dipping his head in thanks and trying not to blush.</p><p class="p3">“So cute.” She coo-ed, reaching out to pat Chan’s head. Then she turned her attention back to Minho. “So is there anything I can help you with today, Mr. Lee?”</p><p class="p3">Minho shook his head, glancing around the store before offering a polite half-smile. “We should be okay, but I’ll let you know if we need anything.”</p><p class="p3">The store was divided into different sections. Speciality treats and supplements in one aisle, collars, leashes and even jewelry in another. Clothes, blankets, stuffed animals and all manner of things. The only thing that seemed common was that it all looked <em>expensive.</em> Not even the new clothes that Minho had gotten him expensive, but like - <em>really</em> nice and expensive. Not that Chan had a great understanding of money, but he did know that even with the sizable amount the Shelter got from the government, it still only covered basic needs and they had to take in donations. He could only imagine what new, clean things like this cost.</p><p class="p3">Minho led them down an aisle of collars, leashes and harnesses, the smell of leather immediately hitting Chan. He looked at the human curiously, unsure of what exactly he would be looking for.</p><p class="p3">“I asked you earlier if you preferred harnesses or collars.” Minho’s brow was furrowed and hesitated for a second before continuing. “I think we should get you a harness though. This,” He gestured toward Chan’s collar with his free hand. “Feels less personal, right? Like we’re only tentatively connected. I want you to feel secure. Like I won’t ever let you go.”</p><p class="p3">Chan could feel his face warming up as Minho spoke and he had no idea how he was supposed to respond to that. It’s not like Minho had been rough with him, if anything the human had been exceedingly gentle. Other than the slight weight on the front of the collar, he could barely feel the leash there - <em>oh.</em></p><p class="p3"><em>“</em>Is there a particular color you like?” Minho asked.</p><p class="p3">Chan chewed on his lip and shook his head, trying to avoid Minho’s eyes. But the human simply stood still and stared at him, apparently willing to wait indefinitely until the hybrid gave an answer.</p><p class="p3">“I like black.” Chan finally admitted. “But really any color is fine.”</p><p class="p3">Minho seemed to accept that answer and nodded, moving towards the different harness’ hanging from spaced out pegs. His fingers skimmed over the ones with slightly thinner straps before landing on one with thicker straps and shimmering gold thread. Chan bit his lip to keep from saying it was too much as Minho checked the sizes before finding one and pulling it down. There was a gold ring on the chest and back of the harness for different lead positions and other than the gold thread, it was fairly simply in design with hidden silver snaps.</p><p class="p3">“Let’s try this one first.” Minho said gently, dropping Chan’s leash so that he could help him into the harness.</p><p class="p3">Chan shivered as he felt Minho’s hands ghost over his shoulders and torso. He hadn’t realized until today just how little he let the human touch him, <em>nor</em> how much he craved those gentle touches. Though his heart seemed to be beating out of his chest, he could feel himself relax slightly as Minho’s warmth crowded him. In the sea of constant change, Minho’s assured presence felt steadying.</p><p class="p3">The harness fit loose on Chan’s body and Minho stood back, brow furrowed in surprise. Chan squeaked as Minho suddenly placed his hands on the hybrid’s sides, frowning at what he felt.</p><p class="p3">“How did I not notice how thin you were.” Minho murmured to himself, his eyes focused on Chan’s coat like he was confused about how Chan’s body was fitting in it. “Have to make a Doctor’s appointment. Add more protein to your diet.”</p><p class="p3">Chan squirmed a little bit, the urge to apologize for some reason on the tip of his tongue. He had a feeling Minho wouldn’t want to hear it though, and managed to bite his tongue. Instead, he just waited quietly for Minho to switch out the harness for a smaller size. This time, when the leather was fastened around his chest and shoulders, it was much more snug, pressure applying gently and securely.</p><p class="p3">Chan’s spine tingled as Minho tested the fit with two fingers beneath the different straps, humming to himself pleased. The hybrid could feel a blush forming on his cheeks as he realized how quickly the tension his started to melt out of his body. Minho’s careful, but firm touches as he tested the bondings on the hybrid’s body.</p><p class="p3"><em>Safe.</em> Chan’s mind supplied out of nowhere.</p><p class="p3">“How does that feel?”</p><p class="p3">Chan startled as he felt a hand on his shoulder and suddenly Minho was right in front of him. His dark eyes were imploring, though he could see the confusion enter them when Chan didn’t answer right away. Minho reached up to tilt Chan’s chin up slightly. “Chan?”</p><p class="p3">“F-fine.” Chan stuttered, embarrassed but wanting to lean into Minho’s touch even more. “It feels nice.”</p><p class="p3">“Good.” Minho smiled, looking so genuinely pleased that Chan could only smile timidly back.</p><p class="p3">Minho didn’t seem concerned about taking the harness off, in fact while Chan had lost himself in thought, he must have clipped the leash to the front of the new harness. It was different, Chan realized as Minho led him to a different part of the store. Even though Minho wasn’t pulling, just the gently swaying and bobbing of the leash put light pressure on the straps of the harness. A little reminder that Minho was there, guiding him.</p><p class="p3">Minho led them to an open floor section of the store. This one had small racks of clothes spread out, with tall mirrors sprinkled throughout the area. This was where the scent hit Chan in full force and almost made his knees weak. The scent of a Mother’s milk, a deep, primordial memory that made Chan almost want to mewl like a newborn kitten.</p><p class="p3">He took in a shuddering breath, looking at the section with new, slightly apprehensive eyes. The clothes there were all shades of light color. Pastel pinks, blues, greens and yellows. Even without touching anything yet, he could see how soft some of the clothing items were. But the scent, <em>god</em>, that scent made him want to rub his face in the nearest sweater and find somewhere warm to nest.</p><p class="p3">“W-what is this?” Chan managed to croak out as he followed Minho’s lead through the aisles of pretty, soft colors.</p><p class="p3">“It’s a specialty clothing line.” Minho stopped in front of a wrack of sky blue, tunic type sweaters. He reached out and touched the fabric between his fingers, then gestured for Chan to feel. “It’s suppose to help calm hybrids when they’re distressed,” He eyed Chan as the hybrid hesitantly reached out to touch the sweater. “How is it?”</p><p class="p3">Chan had a feeling he wasn’t just talking about the sweater material. There was something quite serious in Minho’s eyes, and Chan realized he couldn’t just give him a bland, brushed off answer.</p><p class="p3">“It smells safe, and warm and - and like I want to curl up somewhere warm and go to sleep.” Even as he explained, Chan took in a deep breath and his voice took on an almost dreamy quality. “Like nothing bad could ever happen.”</p><p class="p3">Minho was watching him sharply, but the usually anxiety of being stared at simply couldn’t take root in Chan’s mind. The scent filtering through the air off the racks of clothes was far too distracting and comforting. Without thinking, Chan picked up the sleeve of the sweater and gently pressed his cheek against the impossibly soft fabric. It was so silky and smooth, he wanted to drown in it.</p><p class="p3">“Do you want it?”</p><p class="p3">Chan barely heard the question, his mind focused on inhaling the scent and purring into the fabric. He only barely flinched when he felt Minho’s fingers gently scratching behind on of his ears. He turned to look at the human, eyes half-lidded and serene as he tried to focus on what had been said to him.</p><p class="p3">“Want what?” He only vaguely recognized how soft and quiet his voice sounded.</p><p class="p3">“The sweater. I think it may help.” Minho said patiently. “And the effect won’t always be as strong once you get used to it. But it will help.”</p><p class="p3">Chan blinked slowly, considering as he absentmindedly rubbed his cheek into the fabric. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was forgetting something. That they were in this store for a reason and things had’t been the same just a few minutes ago. But really, surrounded by the uniquely maternal scent that tickled the memories of his kitten brain, he couldn’t be bothered to think further of it.</p><p class="p3">“Please,” Chan murmured, voice soft and hopeful. “I do want this.”</p><p class="p3">Chan could read the hesitance in Minho’s eyes, though he couldn’t quite understand why. But after a moment, the look turned to acceptance and the human nodded. “Then we’ll get it, Chan.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm looking forward to the next chapter~ I've started writing it and its an interesting one. Please look forward to it as well!</p><p>Comments and kudos are appreciated! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Incident [Minho]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>Changbin sucked in a sharp breath, his ears flicking back. “….there was an accident.”</i>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A quick update because I wrote this chapter at the same time as the last one. I just had to finish it up and edit it. I'm a bit tired, so I may not have been as thorough on editing as usual, haha, so forgive me.</p>
<p>This chapter is one I was looking forward to writing, just because it shows a little bit more of the dynamics at home. So I hope you'll enjoy it as well!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Minho</em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">The ride back home was a quiet, calm affair and for that Minho was grateful. He’d felt hesitant and even guilty about buying the MMILK branded sweater for Chan, having done copious amounts of research on the brand itself and come to an unsatisfactory, mixed conclusion. The original product had been blankets that were touted as a medically-backed cure for wild kittens and cats to tame them. But pushback from both doctors and psychologists had made them change their branding and they course corrected into consumer products that helped ‘ease anxiety’. Medically, there was nothing <em>special</em> about MMILK,the company had just hit the jackpot in being able to develop a scent that almost perfectly mimicked the smell of hybrid milk and it naturally seemed to have a calming effect on them. There was no foul play, or chemical alteration taking place. But whether or not it was <em>ethical</em>…</p>
<p class="p1">At the same time, Minho had never seen Chan so relaxed. The hybrid had clutched the sweater to his chest from the moment they had exited the store until he was buckled into his seat, rubbing it against his cheeks and neck as though he might be able to douse himself in the scent. Luckily, getting out of the store seemed to make Chan a little less spaced out. Even though the sweater calmed him down, he was more clear-headed when Minho asked him questions.</p>
<p class="p1">Eventually the hybrid had drifted off the sleep. Sweater balled up against the window as he quietly slept away. Minho might have his misgivings, but considering the things he had learned today, he was willing to take all the help he could get.</p>
<p class="p1">They arrived home somewhat late, the winter sun had long since set and he could see a few lights on inside the house. He couldn’t help but be relieved to be home, ready to shower the stress of the day away and get something to eat in his and Chan’s stomachs. He was sure the hybrid was tired, and he definitely needed to eat.</p>
<p class="p1">Reaching over, Minho shook Chan’s shoulder gently to rouse the hybrid from his slumber. He looked adorably confused, probably not having even noticed that he had drifted off to sleep. Minho couldn’t help but smile warmly and run his finger’s through Chan’s ruffled hair before helping the hybrid get unbuckled and out of the car.</p>
<p class="p1">It was quiet when they went inside, which was somewhat surprising. Usually his cats tended to get very loud, especially when he wasn’t home to set the mood. The youngest ones sometimes got zoomies before bed time. But the house was eerily quiet, and Minho could smell a weirdly strong scent of cleaning agent coming from the kitchen.</p>
<p class="p1">Trying not to let his concern show, though it mattered little since Chan was uniquely unbothered due to the sweater he was stilling caressing. He quickly got Chan out of his harness and coat, then nudged him toward the stairs.</p>
<p class="p1">“Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll get you something to eat.” Minho said quietly.</p>
<p class="p1">Chan seemed to notice something was off, but a combination of his calmed state and exhaustion made him simply nod and he headed upstairs on his own. After watching him for a moment, Minho made his way to the kitchen, slightly terrified of what he might find.</p>
<p class="p1">To his surprise and worry, the kitchen was spotless, in fact the floor was practically sparkling and the scent of disinfectant was very strong. Before he could begin to guess what had happened, he saw Changbin standing by the back patio door, staring out into the darkness of the night, tail swishing agitatedly behind him.</p>
<p class="p1">“<em>Minho</em>,” Changbin whipped around, as though he’d only just realized the human was home. That in itself was unusual as his cats could always usually tell as <em>soon</em> as he came home. But there was a distressed look on Changbin’s face and Minho could feel his stomach drop.</p>
<p class="p1">“Changbin, what happened?” He tried to keep his voice level as he walked toward the hybrid, eyes wandering over the sparkling clean counters and spotless sink. “Where is everyone?”</p>
<p class="p1">Changbin sucked in a sharp breath, his ears flicking back. “….there was an accident.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Changbin…”</p>
<p class="p1">“Everyone is alright!” The black-haired hybrid said quickly, imploring Minho to believe him. He took a deep breath and ducked his head. “Felix and Jisung wanted to make Chan something nice for when he came back. They were really worried about him, you know? But Jisung used the wrong paper in the oven and it set off the smoke detector. Seungmin freaked out and came down to the kitchen and slipped on some oil that had spilled on the floor. With the alarm, and the smoke and how he gets when you're gone he ran out back before anyone could even check on him.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho’s heart was pounding in his ears and he could feel his hands trembling. The thought of Seungmin running off, Seungmin being <em>afraid</em> and getting <em>hurt</em> made him want to scream. Seungmin could be sensitive to loud noises and got easily overwhelmed. It was one of the reasons Minho had been so excited to move out here away from the city.</p>
<p class="p1">His eyes flickered outside, not able to see anything past the first row of trees in the distance where the porch light just managed to catch their silhouettes. He nearly choked on his next words. “I-is he still out there?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Hyunjin was pissed off.” Changbin started his explenation. “I told him to go try and find Seungmin, he took Jeongin with him. They haven’t been back since,” The hybrid fidgeted with his fingers, obviously anxious. “I didn’t want to leave Felix and Jisung in the house alone.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho swallowed thickly, barely keeping his composure to not go running into the night, screaming for his cats. Logically, he knew that they would be fine alone for a few hours, especially if they were together. But it was dark and it was cold, and Seungmin might have gotten hurt from slipping…</p>
<p class="p1">“Chan is upstairs taking a shower. Can you get him something to eat and keep everyone in the den until I get back?” Minho asked quickly.</p>
<p class="p1">“Yes, of course.” Changbin answered immediately. “Minho, I’m sorry.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Ssh.” Minho immediately pulled Changbin into his arms. He could feel the hybrid shiver against him, probably barely holding back his own distress. Minho felt a slightly guilty, for how much responsibility he tended to place on Changbin at times. He can only imagine how the hybrid felt, trying to keep it together with the chaos that happened. “You did very well, Changbin. Thank you so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”</p>
<p class="p1">“I should have been paying more attention—.”</p>
<p class="p1">“You did the best you could, baby. I’m very proud of you.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho pulled away so that he could check the hybrid’s face. To his relief, he wasn’t crying, though there was still a hangdog look of guilt on his face. Minho squeezed his shoulders, hoping to convey that he truly was not disappointed in him.</p>
<p class="p1">“I’m going to go get them, okay?” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Changbin’s forehead before letting him go. “You stay with the others, I’m sure they’re worried as well.”</p>
<p class="p1">Once Changbin nodded, Minho retrieved the flashlight he kept underneath the kitchen sink. He was relieved that it still had working batteries and without wasting anymore time, he headed out into the chilly night.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">- - -</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">As it turned out, Minho didn’t end up having to look very far. He’d originally scanned the tree line, looking for any sign the hybrids might have run into the forest. But then something told him to check the shed in the left corner of the backyard. To his relief, he found the three hybrids curled up behind the shed. Hyunjin and Jeongin had Seungmin tucked between them, the hybrid had curled himself up tightly, hiding his face in his knees.</p>
<p class="p1">Minho had almost collapsed in relief, just glad to see that the three of them were safe and not lost. After the initial relief though, it had taken quite sometime to convince Seungmin to unfurl himself. Apparently Hyunjin and Jeongin had been trying for hours and whenever they tried to move him or pick him up, he hissed and scratched at them.</p>
<p class="p1">With Minho’s help though, they were finally able to get through to the shaken hybrid. Seungmin eventually crawled into Minho’s arms, in a rare show of vulnerability and allowed the human to carry him back to the house. Minho was honestly glad for it, he didn’t want to let Seungmin out of his sight, and holding onto him was just as calming for himself as it was for Seungmin.</p>
<p class="p1">“Hyunjin, can you run a bath?” Minho asked once they were inside the house again. “Jeongin can you follow me?”</p>
<p class="p1">Both hybrids answered in affirmative, wanting to help in anyway that they could. Minho could still see an undercurrent of anger in Hyunjin’s face, and it would be best if he distracted the cat until he cooled down further. Hyunjin tried very hard as the second oldest (well third <em>now)</em> but he sometimes got frustrated with the younger hybrids’ antics. Combining that with his protectiveness of Seungmin and it was probably best to leave any confrontations until tomorrow.</p>
<p class="p1">Minho carried Seungmin up to his room on the second floor, gently placing the hybrid on the bed. Seungmin whimpered, a sound that he rarely ever made as he weakly pawed at Minho’s coat.</p>
<p class="p1">“I should have some pajamas in the closet.” Minho said to Jeongin who was standing by. “Once Hyunjin is done with the bath water, can you to help Seungmin get ready? And then you can stay in here for the night.”</p>
<p class="p1">Jeongin tilted his head, a little surprised. “Are the others in trouble?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Well,” Was all Minho really had to offer at the time. To be honest, he was far too concerned about Seungmin to really be thinking about punishments. “I think Seungmin would appreciate having company, but I don’t think he’ll want to sleep in the den tonight.”</p>
<p class="p1">“<em>No.</em>” Seungmin muttered from where he had curled up on the bed, ears flat against his skull.</p>
<p class="p1">“Right.” Minho reached over and gently pet his ears to soothe him. “I’ll be right back, sweetheart. Jeongin and Hyunjin will stay with you.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Yep, I’m right here, Seungminnie.” Jeongin said kindly, sitting next to the other hybrid and immediately stroking his back.</p>
<p class="p1">Satisfied that the two of them would have it under control, Minho sighed and left the room. He felt exhausted and would give anything to drop into bed and sleep for twelve hours straight. But, he needed to check on the others. Hopefully Chan’s new sweater was keeping him comforted. But he knew Changbin, Jisung and Felix were probably extremely worried and he wanted to assure them everything was okay.</p>
<p class="p1">Making his way upstairs was when the exhaustion really hit Minho in full force. Every subsequent step felt like he had twenty pound weights strapped to his legs. Once he reached the third floor he took a deep, relieved breath before looking around the open loft. He spotted the four hybrids by the far wall to ceiling windows. They had dragged three futons together and he could see Chan in his MMILK sweater with Felix and Jisung curled around him on either side. Changbin was sitting with his back against the window, head bowed, probably having fallen asleep while watching over the others.</p>
<p class="p1">Clicking his tongue, Minho quickly gathered two blankets, even though the heat was on, he’d feel better if they were comfortably covered. He made his way over to the sleeping hybrids, unable to resist a tired smile as he looked at their relaxed faces. Honestly, he was glad that they were able to find some comfort, not to mention he wasn’t sure if he would be able to deal with any theatrics so late at night.</p>
<p class="p1">He quickly covered Chan, Jisung and Felix with the two blankets. It was a testament to how tired they all must have been that they didn’t move a muscle as he did so. Then he went over to gently shake Changbin awake. The hybrid’s ears twitched before his head shot up and he stared at Minho with wide startled eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">“M-minho?” Changbin asked, his voice rough with sleep. “Is everything okay?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Everything is just fine.” Minho whispered. He offered a hand to the hybrid to help him stand led him over to one of the empty futon that was already made up for bedtime.</p>
<p class="p1">“Seungminnie is okay?” Changbin asked, holding the human’s arm tightly.</p>
<p class="p1">“He’s a little scared, but Hyunjin and Jeongin are with him and helping him get ready for bed.” Minho explained gently. He helped ease Changbin down, coaxing the hybrid under the covers on the futon. Crouching next to the palette, he pulled the covers up to the hybrid’s chin. “You did a good job today, baby.”</p>
<p class="p1">Changbin blinked slowly at him before yawning widely. He nodded in acceptance, probably too tired to argue with Minho. “Goodnight.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Goodnight.” Minho reached over and gently ran his finger’s through Changbin hair, scratching behind his ears as he closed his eyes. The hybrid’s breaths began to even out almost immediately as tiredness over took him. “I’ll be right downstairs if you need me.”</p>
<p class="p1">Minho stayed for a few moments more, making sure Changbin was asleep before quietly rising and creeping back down the stairs. It had been a long day, but all of his hybrids were safe and accounted for a that’s the best thing that he could ask for.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aah, I hope this intrigues you some about the other cats~ Channie is our focus, but the others have their own interesting stories as well.</p>
<p>Comments and kudos are always appreciated! Have a lovely day :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Author's Notes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*this will be updated and moved as the story continues.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>Author’s Notes</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">I can’t believe I’m writing catboy AU for the first time in my life. I’ve either reached new depths or new heights but its a wild ass feeling. Figured I’d give a tiny bit of context for this verse. It’s really not necessary unless you're super curious as most of the context clues are in the fic.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>Hybrids</em>
</p>
<ul>
<li class="p3">Also just known as ‘cats’. Cats as we know them don’t exist in this world. A cat is a human-cat hybrid. So often I’ll switch between just calling them cats or hybrids.</li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li3">Hybrids is a historical misnomer. Biologically they aren’t related to humans despite their appearance/intelligence.</li>
<li class="li3">Cat ears, tails, fangs and sharp nails that are tougher than human ones. Ability to see in the dark as well as impeccable smell and hearing.</li>
<li class="li3">Live to about 50 years old, though they age at the same rate as humans.</li>
<li class="li3">Generally kept as pets, though some are ‘working cats’ and may become live in assistants at places like hospitals, libraries, firehouses, ect.</li>
<li class="li3">Wild cat colonies are tracked and kept tabs on, but generally left alone unless their are issues of endangerment or a health crisis.</li>
</ul><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>AU World Info</em>
</p>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li3">Hybrid law is rather strict - charges for any type of abuse usually carry heavy prison sentences as well as fines.</li>
<li class="li3">Shelters are rarely full and are considered more of a temporary stop and place of rest rather than a punishment.</li>
<li class="li3">Adoption vetting is a particularly arduous when a family/person wants to adopt for the first time. But becomes easier with each new addition.</li>
<li class="li3">There is, of course, a small section of Hybrid Rights advocates who oppose Hybrid status as ‘sub-human’. Though most humans fall on the side of Hybrid Welfare advocacy.</li>
<li class="li3">It’s a feel good AU, please don’t try to think to hard about it</li>
</ul><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">*Spoilers ahead</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <em>Character Notes</em>
</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Chan (22) Hybrid ‘Black fur’ - Abandoned by his family at 16, on his own for a year before he was taken into a Shelter. Suffers from abandonment and anxiety issues being treated as a form of ptsd.</p><p class="p5">Minho (24) - Human - Lives on a plot of land that used to be a farm, has adopted six hybrids so far. A successful writer (but also with a sizable inheritance from his grandparents).</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this is happening, I think I'm in it for the long haul.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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